CONTROVERSIAL new laws designed to allow the Newman Government to more easily
harvest the riches of crime bosses and drug traffickers will go before
Parliament on Wednesday.
Unexplained wealth laws will reverse the onus of proof to suspected criminals to show their assets were gained legitimately, while convicted drug traffickers will lose all their property, regardless of when or how they obtained it.
Civil libertarians condemned the new laws as draconian, while NSW public prosecutions director Nicholas Cowdery said he thought the drug trafficker declarations might be "unconstitutional".
However, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said confiscation of criminals' assets compensated taxpayers and funded "important programs and services for Queenslanders".
"These new laws will be a more significant and harder punishment than a stint behind bars," he said.
Mr Bleijie said there would be discretion for drug traffickers' children to "apply for financial support on the grounds of hardship as they should not suffer for the bad decisions of their parents".
The current six-year time limit on suspected past crimes as the basis for unexplained wealth orders will be scrapped.
Mr Bliejie said these were aimed at "Mr Bigs ... who are pulling the strings but have escaped charges as there isn't enough evidence linking them to the crime".
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/new-laws-set-to-harvest-criminals-riches/story-fndo45r1-1226525245645
Unexplained wealth laws will reverse the onus of proof to suspected criminals to show their assets were gained legitimately, while convicted drug traffickers will lose all their property, regardless of when or how they obtained it.
Civil libertarians condemned the new laws as draconian, while NSW public prosecutions director Nicholas Cowdery said he thought the drug trafficker declarations might be "unconstitutional".
However, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said confiscation of criminals' assets compensated taxpayers and funded "important programs and services for Queenslanders".
"These new laws will be a more significant and harder punishment than a stint behind bars," he said.
Mr Bleijie said there would be discretion for drug traffickers' children to "apply for financial support on the grounds of hardship as they should not suffer for the bad decisions of their parents".
The current six-year time limit on suspected past crimes as the basis for unexplained wealth orders will be scrapped.
Mr Bliejie said these were aimed at "Mr Bigs ... who are pulling the strings but have escaped charges as there isn't enough evidence linking them to the crime".
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/new-laws-set-to-harvest-criminals-riches/story-fndo45r1-1226525245645