New Mandatory Sentencing laws to commence 1 May 2013

CLANT deplores the impending commencement on 1 May 2013 of radical new mandatory sentencing laws for violent offenders.  Details of the new provisions are here.  Although there is provision for courts to avoid imposing the applicable compulsory 12 or 3 months sentences of actual imprisonment in exceptional circumstances, the inevitable result of these draconian provisions will be the cramming of ever more members of our community into our chronically over-crowded prisons.