The Iemma Government’s plan to have the NSW Coalition’s proposal of naming young offenders of serious crimes investigated whilst welcome, highlights the delay and dithering of the Labor Government on this issue over many years, Shadow Attorney General Greg Smith SC said today.

“The NSW Coalition first proposed naming young offenders in 2003 arguing that in the interests of justice there needs to be greater public accountability placed on juvenile offenders convicted of the most serious offences,” Mr Smith said.

“If the Labor Government was really serious about changing this area of the law, they would have supported the NSW Coalition when we first proposed the amendments,” he said.

“Instead, devoid of their own policy ideas and trying to divert public attention from the Royal North Shore Hospital crisis we see the Labor Government go into spin cycle and turn to Opposition policies for a headline."

“Today the Attorney General John Hatzistergos had the hide to cite the Pakistani brothers’ gang rape trial, the four notorious ‘K Brothers’ who are serving a total of 70 years jail between them, as the case highlighting the need for change in protecting the names of juvenile offenders."

“This was the exact case that John Brogden referred to in August 2005 (see Annexure A) when the NSW Coalition last raised this issue."

“The Iemma Government’s announcement today of a parliamentary review of the laws that currently prohibits the naming of young offenders is merely an attempt to distract public criticism away from the hospital crisis and is an insult to those victims of serious juvenile offenders who need real reform, not just another review."

“Other NSW Coalition law and order policies adopted by the Iemma Labor Government include, majority verdicts and videotaping evidence of sexual assault victims for use at re-trials."

“The Iemma Government should cease its media driven approach to law and order issues and support good reforms when they’re first proposed,” Mr Smith said.