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zeb

Royal Commission hosts criminal
justice public roundtables

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is holding a series of public roundtables in April to discuss a range of criminal justice issues with invited participants.

The public roundtables follow March’s public hearing into criminal justice issues.

Royal Commission Chief Executive Officer Philip Reed said the public roundtables will discuss adult sex offender treatment programs, Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) oversight and complaint mechanisms and reporting offences.

“These roundtables will invite comment and discussion from a range of participants, including police, public prosecutors, criminal justice policy officials, academic and practitioner experts and others,” Mr Reed said.

“Consultation through these public roundtables will help inform the Royal Commission’s criminal justice policy work,” Mr Reed said.

The first public roundtable will discuss criminal offence for failing to report child sexual abuse, including the issue of blind reporting, where the alleged victim’s name or identifying details are not given to police.

The second public roundtable will discuss adult sex offender treatment programs, including current programs in Australia and internationally, as well as discussing the effectiveness of these programs.

The third public roundtable will look at DPP complaints and oversight mechanisms, including whether there should be avenues for victims to seek review of decisions not to prosecute and whether there should be external oversight of DPPs.

Venue: Hearing Room 2, Level 17, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney.
When: Wednesday 20 April (reporting offences) 10am-4pm
Thursday 21 April (adult sex offender treatment programs) 10am-1pm
Friday 29 April (DPP complaints and oversight mechanisms) 10am-4pm
Time: Commencing 10am AEST

The public roundtables will be streamed live via webcast on the Royal Commission’s website at www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au.

defender of truth

Thank you for sharing this Zeb.

Also, thanks for what you have done in relation to the ARC in the past. Good to see you back posting again. :)

The first public roundtable will discuss criminal offence for failing to report child sexual abuse, including the issue of blind reporting, where the alleged victim’s name or identifying details are not given to police.

This part particularly should be watched closely by someone in the organization. Maybe Vincent Toole?

I'll just leave these quotes here as a reminder:

Spinks said he had been made aware of this in these hearings and the church would accept and comply with mandatory reporting, “regardless of our strongly held religious belief that individuals should have the right to decide what is done with that information”.
He said when there were mandatory reporting requirements with some sort of uniformity across the country “we will happily and willingly comply”.
McClellan pointed out that uniform laws were not yet in place and they would differ from state to state but they would impose “a criminal sanction on a person who knows [about an abuse crime] and does not report”.
Spinks said he understood that.
McClellan said the church needed to have a very good look maybe with the help of the church’s lawyers at what the law provides.
www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/04/jehovahs-witness-church-says-it-will-comply-with-mandatory-reporting-of-child-abuse

Vincent Toole, head of the church's Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, told the commission he would seek independent legal advice about the church's obligations to report child sex abuse to the authorities.
Justice McClellan asked Mr Toole if he understood there was a general obligation for every citizen to report crimes to the authorities.
"Coming to this commission has been a wake-up call for me, I can assure you," Mr Toole said.
"Immediately [when] this particular hearing is over, we're going to instruct senior independent counsel and ask them to give us clear legal advice what the position is throughout Australia . . . any obligations that arise in relation to those laws we will certainly comply with."
http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/royal-commission-jehovahs-witnesses-to-review-approach-to-sex-abuse-allegations-20150805-gis2fh.html

smiddy

Thank you Zeb for this info .

I will look forward to watching the webcast.

Didn`t the W.T. challenge some 70 or so recommendations the ARC suggested ? How would that go down with the commission .?

And didn`t G.Jackson tell the commission that if Australian states had uniform laws regarding mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse it would make life easier for the organization .?

Thereby putting the onus on the Australian Govt .and absolving their own responsibility.

Otherwise known as passing the buck.

smiddy

stuckinarut2

Ironic that the society has used the reasoning that they will not breach confidentiality unless the law dictates that they should, while at the same time promoting a culture of internal gossip and slander amongst witnesses suspected of having doctrinal doubts!

DATA-DOG

LOL!! Vincent is a tool! Meanwhile, the WTBTS fights mandatory reporting in the USA.

DD

zeb

yes Jackson did say that. Its on footage. and there is this other quote;

"obligations that arise in relation to those laws we will certainly comply with."...

so to hell with morality only if the law requires it; and thereby admitting that 'Caesars' laws hold precedence over the wt.

Vidiot

Anybody wanna bet that a WT rep will be assigned to attend these "roundtables"? :smirk:

defender of truth

Bump for any who missed this.

Thanks again, Zeb.

Venue: Hearing Room 2, Level 17, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney.
When: Wednesday 20 April (reporting offences) 10am AEST-4pm
Thursday 21 April (adult sex offender treatment programs) 10am AEST-1pm
Friday 29 April (DPP complaints and oversight mechanisms) 10am AEST-4pm
Time: Commencing 10am AEST

The public roundtables will be streamed live via webcast on the Royal Commission’s website at
www.childabuse royalcommission.gov.au

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