We’re sick of the soundbites. Bail laws are a joke and must be fixed right now

2 weeks ago 6

After the dreadful alleged execution of Molly Ticehurst successful Forbes connected April 21, I thought agelong and hard implicit the pursuing 24 hours astir what I would accidental connected air. I decided to conscionable marque a fewer notes. That became an editorial arsenic I started to speech astir however galore women had been recovered to person been murdered successful my beingness by boyfriends, partners and husbands.

I past documented however galore times magistrates, territory tribunal judges and different members of the ineligible fraternity had made decisions connected bail that resulted successful the deaths of these women. But someway those judicial officers were ne'er held accountable.

Molly Ticehurst (left) and her accused killer, Daniel Billings.

I reflected connected however violent Man Haron Monis, connected bail for superior intersexual battle charges, was liable for the deaths of 2 guiltless and beauteous radical successful Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson astatine the Lindt Cafe successful 2014. Of course, astatine the coronial inquest into their killings, constabulary were targeted for their response, but determination was nary notation of the failings of judicial officers.

Through the people of my on-air comments I became rather emotional. That emotion turned to choler arsenic I started to deliberation astir each the young women I cognize – including my ain daughters and granddaughters – deserted implicit decades by a anemic judicial system.

In the lawsuit of Molly Ticehurst, bail was granted by a registrar connected Saturday, April 6, to the alleged murderer, Daniel Billings. On Thursday, April 18, the substance came up for notation successful Parkes Local Court. I’m told by Police Commissioner Karen Webb that legally determination could beryllium nary further effort to person bail revoked due to the fact that the circumstances had not changed from the erstwhile bail hearing. If that’s the law, it’s a joke. It needs to beryllium changed.

While the judiciary indispensable beryllium held to account, truthful excessively indispensable the politicians. Back successful 2012, the NSW Liberal lawyer wide Greg Smith, aft unit from ineligible types, decided his authorities would try to region a presumption against bail for superior offences including murder, superior cause trafficking and superior intersexual offences. After a nationalist outcry, Smith decided to permission things wherever they were arsenic acold arsenic execution and superior cause offences were acrophobic but a presumption against bail for superior intersexual offences, but wherever it progressive minors, was removed.

It was a dreadful determination by Barry O’Farrell’s authorities and possibly the crushed the registrar granted Billings bail connected April 6.

Federal governments haven’t fared overmuch amended successful protecting women. In October 2022, the Albanese government, successful conjunction with NSW and different states and territories, produced a nationalist program to extremity unit against women and children by 2032. Two years on, we’ve heard plentifulness of talk, pages and pages of authorities documents and a increasing fig of women being allegedly murdered by men.

We’re each sick of the soundbites. They deliberation inquiries and gabfests are going to lick the problem. They won’t. Action by the NSW authorities is required. I person nary religion successful NSW Attorney General Michael Daley. Premier Chris Minns has to instrumentality power of the substance and instantly alteration the bail laws.

For superior matters specified arsenic intersexual battle and crimes involving violence, bail cannot beryllium determined by a registrar connected the weekend. It indispensable spell to a magistrate and determination cannot beryllium a presumption of bail for these home violence-related intersexual assaults.

I’ve sat successful my workplace for much than 30 years reporting these matters and successive governments person done nothing. It’s clip for assorted politicians to really turn a set, commencement protecting women and halt worrying astir the civilian libertarians screaming from the rooftops astir men being denied earthy justice.

If the judiciary wants to clasp its independence, possibly it should bespeak connected the words of His Honour Justice Peter McClennan, who chaired Australia’s landmark royal committee into organization responses to kid intersexual abuse, different scourge connected our society. He said: “In my relation arsenic a justice I person been called connected to reappraisal galore sentences imposed upon radical convicted of the intersexual maltreatment of children, but I readily admit that until I began my enactment with the commission, I did not adequately admit the devastating and long-lasting impact which intersexual abuse, nevertheless inflicted, tin person connected an individual’s life.”

As it stands, determination is nary justness for the murdered women and their families. That indispensable change. Well done to those who protested implicit the weekend, but we tin person arsenic galore protests arsenic we like, deterioration achromatic ribbons and shingle our heads successful despair erstwhile the adjacent pistillate dies astatine the hands of a man. But until the courts bespeak our choler connected bail and the inadequate sentences that invariably follow, the deaths of women similar Molly Ticehurst volition hap again and again.

It is clip for nine to basal united, careless of our governmental leanings, and enactment a halt to the horrifying unit against women.

Ray Hadley is the big of The Ray Hadley Morning Show connected 2GB.