InBrief

A NSW parliamentary committee will review laws that prohibit the publishing or broadcasting of the names of children involved in criminal proceedings. NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos announced the review on Friday, 5 October.

“This is a particularly sensitive area of the law which must balance the interests of open justice with the need to protect young people, including those who are victims,” Mr Hatzistergos said.

The Standing Committee on Law and Justice will examine s11 of the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 and report on whether the policy objectives of the prohibition remain valid, including to:

• reduce trauma for victims and allow them greater privacy during the recovery process
• reduce stigma for siblings of the offender and the victim
• allow child offenders to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the community after they have served their sentences.

The committee will also look at whether the Act’s prohibition on publishing names should cover:

• children who have been arrested, but not yet charged
• children, other than the accused, who are reasonably likely to be involved in the criminal proceedings
• any other relevant circumstance.

8 October 2007