Governments and oppositions, State and Federal, are increasingly trying to outdo each other in the law and order auction. They are committing themselves to policies that give police extraordinary powers, lower the standard of justice, make convictions easier, and increase punishment.
Criminal justice is now often about the efficiency of conviction and the satisfaction of victims.
While these are important, they should not be the most important consideration. If we keep removing the rights of citizens, we may well have a criminal justice system where it no longer matters that the innocent are jailed so long as we get all of the guilty, and where penalties are based on revenge regardless of the circumstances. Almost every week sees tough new laws and new police powers to combat crime. This really means another reduction in the standard of justice. The criminal justice system in Australia was built on principles designed, above all else, to protect the innocent.