Wheels of Justice

makes you wonder when the queue of cases increases faster than they can be seen too what happens to the quality of the cases, if the quality of the work stayed the same the waiting time would increase exponentially.

The other victims are the unjustly accused, those whom get treated as the guilty until they are proven innocent. How many defendants have already done months/years of time behind bars before being released after being found not guilty. There’s no support for them, much harder done by than the victims family.

justin heywood said :

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

…..My aim was to start the conversation about their plight to gauge what rioters might think. The paucity of responders says volumes to me.

The lack of response says ‘volumes’ to you John? Can you be more specific about exactly what it says to you?

Perhaps you expected ‘rioters’ to fall in behind you and slap you on the back for your keyboard compassion.

If you took some other meaning from the lack of response; my apologies, but please enlighten us.

This topic has been done to death over the years. Victims are an afterthought, at least based on the outcomes of most court proceedings.

It’s a nice thought that we put them first, but I don’t see any of our current pollies doing anything about it despite clear community support for such action.

I think all we can say about this is that the perpetrators should think twice.

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

Holden Caulfield said :

“They often pay a bigger price then we know.”

Then we know what?

Can I reply to you and to Gershwin and bundah at the same time please? I said that they (the families of offenders) pay a bigger price than we know, because society often just thinks that these folks don’t exist and thus don’t think about their plight, attribute guilt by association and have little sympathy, or that they are looked after by the Gumment.

In fact their lives are often ruined, through no fault of their own. My aim was to start the conversation about their plight to gauge what rioters might think. The paucity of responders says volumes to me.

I was not about putting forth an academic argument but to relay some of my thoughts on the issue.

But there are always going to be people who want to trash me and not to actually look at what is being said.

If folks are at all interested in this unfortunate side of the justice system, they could look up the report from the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Community Services and Social Equity (which I chaired) in 2004, entitled Forgotten Victims of Crime: Families of Offenders and their silent Sentences.

It is available on the ACT Legislative Assembly website under Committees from Past Assemblies.

There’s quite a bit of reading involved so I would simply say that if society wants to get serious about tackling the ugliness that many are subjected to then there is really only one solution ie. a massive increase in resources including education, social services, judicial officers, more appropriate sentencing etc.

In relation to child sexual abuse, stats suggest that only one out of every hundred are exposed and prosecuted for their appalling behaviour. By my reckoning that’s a massive fail so to reiterate without massive additional resources the status quo remains.

John Hargreaves Ex MLA said :

…..My aim was to start the conversation about their plight to gauge what rioters might think. The paucity of responders says volumes to me.

The lack of response says ‘volumes’ to you John? Can you be more specific about exactly what it says to you?

Perhaps you expected ‘rioters’ to fall in behind you and slap you on the back for your keyboard compassion.

If you took some other meaning from the lack of response; my apologies, but please enlighten us.

Holden Caulfield said :

“They often pay a bigger price then we know.”

Then we know what?

Can I reply to you and to Gershwin and bundah at the same time please? I said that they (the families of offenders) pay a bigger price than we know, because society often just thinks that these folks don’t exist and thus don’t think about their plight, attribute guilt by association and have little sympathy, or that they are looked after by the Gumment.

In fact their lives are often ruined, through no fault of their own. My aim was to start the conversation about their plight to gauge what rioters might think. The paucity of responders says volumes to me.

I was not about putting forth an academic argument but to relay some of my thoughts on the issue. But there are always going to be people who want to trash me and not to actually look at what is being said.

If folks are at all interested in this unfortunate side of the justice system, they could look up the report from the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Community Services and Social Equity (which I chaired) in 2004, entitled Forgotten Victims of Crime: Families of Offenders and their silent Sentences.

It is available on the ACT Legislative Assembly website under Committees from Past Assemblies.

“They often pay a bigger price then we know.”

Then we know what?

johnhargreaves.blogspot.com is available, John … just sayin’!

Gershwin said :

…I’m sorry, was there a point to that?

For an ex-politician, one would have thought you would have some idea how to frame an argument. Or an opinion. Or whatever that was, becuase frankly I don’t know what you wanted the reader to take away from it apart from a general feeling of partial sympathy for people they don’t know and can do nothing for anyway.

I agree with your appraisal and had John Hargreaves offered some solution to the issues that victims face through, in most cases, no fault of their own then the post would’ve had greater value.

Most of us who are aware of the deficiencies in our justice system want an appropriate solution which will resolve the unacceptable delays. The problem is that our AG Corbell has argued that the justice system is not efficient enough and that it’s not appropriate to allocate more money to increase resources particularly as there’s a finite amount in the budget. So I would suggest given those scenarios we’re buggered.

Nice post. Though there is a place for slow and steady. I think where serious crimes are factors, speedy outcomes might not suit everyone. And being that fairness to all parties needs to be ensured, someone on trial for a complex matter might have a the opposite view. Giving some comfort to those grieving ect is one consideration, among many in the administration of justice. The overall outcome is one that is the best for all.