Labor hides cuts to legal rights and police standards in budget
Labor is attempting to slip changes to police prosecutions through unnoticed by burying them in budget measures.
Labor is planning to force successful defendants to carry the costs of unsuccessful prosecutions, in a crass attempt to save money, effectively reducing standards for police prosecutions.
In 2010-11 Labor aimed for 85 per cent of police prosecutions to be successful but in 2011-12 the target has been reduced by ten percentage points to 75 per cent[1].
Shadow Attorney-General Stephen Wade said Labor had failed to consult South Australians about the new measure.
“In a blatant cost shifting exercise, Labor is aiming to increase the target for unsuccessful prosecutions by a whopping 66 per cent, and make defendants and legal aid pick up the tab.
“The Opposition is concerned that significant legal protections such as the right to silence are undermined by the Bill.
“This is doubly concerning when Labor hasn’t dared utter a word about the reforms in public or discuss the proposal with those at the coalface,” said Mr Wade.
[1] 2011-12 Budget Paper 4, Volume 3, p100