Strengthened bail laws cause for concern in Australia
- The NSW government has moved to further strengthen the state’s bail laws to ensure that they “remain amongst the toughest in the country”, with the passage of reforms through the state’s Parliament late last week.
- The amendments introduce a requirement that any bail condition that includes electronic monitoring meets a minimum standard prescribed in the regulation to reflect the Corrective Services NSW requirements.
- The first is a new requirement for judges to refuse bail after a conviction or a guilty plea prior to sentencing, where the offender will be jailed, unless special or exceptional circumstances can be established.
