Retrograde, premature and reactive: Bar Association slams changes to bail laws

05/08/2014

The Bar Association has criticised the New South Wales Government's latest bout of tinkering with the state's bail laws. In a media release issued today, President Jane Needham SC described the proposed changes as "a retrograde step which have the potential to threaten fundamental legal rights".

The comments came in response to this morning's release of a report by the Hon John Hatzistergos on the Bail Act, which only commenced on 20 May this year. The recommendations would, among other things, bring back special categories of cases where a different bail test for serious offences is to be applied.