Federal and State Attorneys General meeting in Perth today took an important first step towards a uniform Australian approach on the complex question of criminal responsibility.
Criminal responsibility involves a range of issues including the age at which a person becomes criminally responsible for their actions, their mental state, and the effects of intoxication, recklessness, ignorance of the law, and selfdefence.
Western Australian Attorney General Joe Berinson, who chaired the meeting, said the current diversity in standards meant a person held responsible for a crime in one State could actually be considered innocent in another State.
It was agreed that the first chapter of a proposed model criminal code dealing with the issue would be released by the Attorneys General for public comment.
The Attorneys General also today agreed to convene a special meeting next month to consider the issue of white collar crime.
Mr Berinson said prosecuting white collar crime had become increasingly complex, expensive and lengthy. Experience indicated that some trials of white collar crimes could take years to complete.
"This is an expensive and unacceptable situation which the meeting agreed should be addressed as a matter of priority," Mr Berinson said.
The special meeting will be held in Melbourne on August 7.
The Attorneys General also endorsed calls for the international transfer of prisoners to be allowed.
This would provide the possibility of Australians imprisoned overseas being able to return to Australia to complete their sentences, and overseas prisoners in Australian gaols completing their sentences in their own country.
The proposal would require treaties to be agreed between Australia and other countries, and the Federal Attorney General will now pursue this.
