Parliament will consider three new bills on youth violence next week

Next week, three major bills related to gangs and youth will be presented in parliament.

They were all examined in the cabinet on Wednesday

These legislative acts include the Anti-Gang Bill, the Child Justice (Amendment) Bill and the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill.

The main aim of these new and amended laws is to address the recent increase in criminal activities involving young people.

The Cabinet acknowledged the potential consequences of imposing higher minimum sentences, but also recognised constitutional concerns about potential limitations on the discretionary powers of magistrates and judges in dealing with criminal cases.

It was noted that despite the proposed minimum prison sentence of two years for firearms violence, the cabinet has agreed on a minimum sentence of five years, giving magistrates and judges the power to determine the exact length of the prison sentence on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, the Cabinet has committed to consulting with various stakeholders who have a personal interest in preventing crime, including judges, magistrates, the police, the Prime Minister and the Attorney General, the Bar Association, religious institutions, the business community, the Director of Public Prosecutions, representatives of private sector organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

During the meeting, the Cabinet’s intention to establish a Criminal Law Council was emphasized, whose main task would be to assess bills relating to crime before they are submitted to Parliament.

This approach aims to ensure that legislative proposals include a broad range of input from different sources, and not just the perspectives of parliamentarians.