Current Issues in Criminal Justice Pub Date : 2021-02-01 , DOI: 10.1080/10345329.2020.1859967 J. Boersig 1 , J. Campbell 1 , S. Carmichael 1
ABSTRACT
On 2 April 2020, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 (ACT). [Google Scholar] (ACT) made amendments to address the ongoing – and, at that stage, escalating – COVID-19 outbreak. Amongst its provisions, the Act amended the Supreme Court Act 1933 Supreme Court Act 1933 (ACT). [Google Scholar] (ACT) to allow judge-alone trials on indictable offences, at the election of a judge. This article assesses the rationale for this amendment, finding that the concerns expressed by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) legislature that delay in justice would have negative ramifications are merited. The evidence demonstrates that delay in trial proceedings can negatively affect witness memory, prolong victim and witness trauma, and harm defendants through indeterminate incarceration. However, the authors express reticence about the constitutional legality of waiving such a fundamental right through territory legislation. There are multiple constitutional grounds on which the legislation can be challenged, with this article exploring the possible implications of the Kable Doctrine. The authors’ comparison to New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria shows that there were more appropriate measures that balanced the swift execution of justice and interests of an accused. The right to trial by a jury of peers is a bedrock of Australian law and the decision to abrogate that right represents a dangerous precedent.
中文翻译:
被告被剥夺了在陪审团陪审团面前进行审判的权力
摘要
2020年4月2日,《2020年COVID-19应急法》 COVID-19 2020年紧急应变法(ACT)。 [Google Scholar](ACT)进行了修正,以解决持续不断的COVID-19疫情,并在此阶段逐步升级。该法修正了1933年《最高法院法》 1933年最高法院法(ACT)。 [谷歌学术](ACT)允许在法官选举中对可公诉罪行进行单独法官审判。本文评估了此修正案的理由,并发现澳大利亚首都直辖区(ACT)立法机关表达的担心司法公正延误会带来负面影响的担忧是值得的。证据表明,推迟审判程序可能会对证人的记忆产生不利影响,延长受害者和证人的创伤,并通过不确定的监禁方式伤害被告。但是,作者对通过领土立法放弃这种基本权利的宪法合法性表示沉默。可以通过多种宪法依据来质疑立法,本文探讨了《凯布尔主义》的可能含义。作者与新南威尔士州和维多利亚州的比较表明,有更适当的措施可以平衡迅速执行的司法公正和被告的利益。同行陪审团的审判权是澳大利亚法律的基石,废除这项权利的决定是危险的先例。