Justice Ministry Attacks Three Strikes Law

The Herald reports that the Justice Ministry has slammed the proposed three-strikes law in a memo to the Government.

Its analysis is damning.

The Justice Ministry warned the Government against changing its three strikes violent crime policy saying it risked breaching New Zealand's Bill of Rights and international obligations, went against the Government's own policy on the drivers of crime and impacted on judicial powers.

It also said some juries might not convict criminals, concerned by the unfair consequences if they did, and that the group worst affected would be Maori.

The memo also states that the proposed three strikes law may discourage guilty pleas, result in more trials, and increase the number of people in prison. We already have one of the highest incarceration rates in the developed world. Do we really think adding to our prison population is the answer?

So the proposed law will:

• possibly breach the Bill of Rights 
• possibly breach New Zealand’s international obligations
• go against government policy in other areas 
• adversely affect the powers of judges 
• possibly lead to juries acquitting guilty offenders
• adversely affect Maori
• probably increase the prison population beyond its already bloated number
• possibly lead to longer and more criminal trials, so cost the taxpayer more.

And never mind that it probably won’t actually make our streets safer. Because if tougher sentences work, where’s the evidence for it?

Even Simon Power, whose aversion to evidence is famous, won’t back this turkey. He’s left Judith Collins to push this through.

Just another example of great thinking by our intellectually bereft Government.