Page 5313 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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such as in South Australia, and to report on the need for any further measures or legislation to improve the delivery of justice to the victims of crime.
I particularly asked the committee to look at the California-type court order options for judges and magistrates; actually not only to order counselling but also to order therapy, at government expense, for both victims and offenders. In that announcement I indicated that I intend to take a close interest in the underlying causes of violence. Hopefully, in that regard, aggression therapy programs will be stimulated and expanded.
Of course, that function is already being conducted - discreetly, of course - by my Corrective Services in a venue in Canberra. Clearly, there is a need to deal with those very difficult situations where a magistrate, to the best of his or her ability, is attempting to balance civil liberties and protection issues in dealing with persons accused but not yet judged guilty of violence, or threats of violence. It may well be that submission to, or compulsion to undergo, therapy counselling relating to aggression problems may be an aspect to meet the underlying concerns that were alluded to by the Leader of the Opposition in the adjournment debate last night.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
CRIMES (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 3) 1990
Debate resumed from 29 November 1990, on motion by Mr Collaery:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CONNOLLY (11.29): This is a Bill in relation to which the Opposition, while generally supporting the thrust of the proposal, does have some concerns with the detail. I will be moving an amendment circulated in my name when we get to the detail stage. The problem of computer crime was alluded to by the Attorney in his remarks when presenting this Bill. The Bill, as he says, seeks to address the problem of unlawful access to computers; the so-called "hacker" who gets into a computer system and damages data, removes data, or introduces some form of computer virus which severely damages both the data and the computer.
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