The Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council (QSAC) is running free community sessions in Mount Isa next month to help people better understand the complexities of sentencing in Queensland.
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The free face-to-face sessions are based on on a QSAC interactive program “Judge for Yourself”, a new online tool which allows Queenslanders to put themselves in the shoes of a judge or magistrate and find the appropriate sentence for an offender.
The QSAC launched the interactive educational tool to inform the community about the processes involved when members of judiciary sentence offenders.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath said the website, launched last week during Law Week, allowed Queenslanders to hear evidence in three different cases and allocate the appropriate sentence, based on factors judges have to consider.
“The cases are based on real cases that have been through the Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts,” Mrs D’Ath said.
“This new resource provides an engaging way for ordinary Queenslanders to gain a better understanding of the way our sentencing processes work.
“The Palaszczuk Government recognises the strong community interest in the criminal justice system and sentencing courts, and this is why we reconstituted the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council.
“The Council has various roles including informing, engaging and advising the community, and the Government, about sentencing matters.”
QSAC member Dan Rogers said Judge for Yourself showed there was a lot more to sentencing than a headline.
“Sentencing makes our community safer. It is a rare opportunity to address someone’s behaviour and the underlying issues which led to the offences being committed,” he said.
The website is aimed at giving the public a better understanding about how the court system works, the roles of key people in the courtroom, and the different sentencing options available, such as fines, good behaviour bonds, parole, suspended sentences and imprisonment.
The Judge for Yourself website is available at www.qld.gov.au/judgeforyourself
You can book a session at Mount Isa courthouse on June 22 or 23 at www.eventbrite.com.au/e/judge-for-yourself-mount-isa-tickets-34653515598