Fed: Fed govt won t intervene in mandatory sentencing: Stone

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2000
Fed: Fed govt won t intervene in mandatory sentencing: Stone

Top Liberals have come out fighting in the row over the mandatory sentencing of juveniles.

The Liberals' federal president, SHANE STONE -- who's also a lawyer and the former
Northern Territory chief minister responsible for the laws -- has taken on the Commonwealth's
chief law officer, Liberal Attorney-General DARRYL WILLIAMS.

Mr STONE's declared the federal government won't use its powers to force the Territory
and Western Australia to overturn their mandatory sentencing legislation.

And he says the Attorney's move to have the laws reviewed is not supported by many
of his Liberal colleagues.

Mr STONE even says the West Australian laws on mandatory sentencing need to be more stringent.

He says the Attorney-General's individual view is not the government's position.

And WA's Liberal Attorney-General, PETER FOSS, has told the Commonwealth to butt out
of the issue.

Calls to ban Northern Territory and West Australian mandatory sentencing practices
have ballooned since the suicide in Darwin last week of a 15-year-old Aboriginal boy jailed
for a month for stealing stationery.

AAP RTV sd/sub/rp 2

KEYWORD: MANDATORY STONE (PERTH)

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