Govt targets ice and forced marriages

Labor is backing only part of a wide-ranging government bill to give law enforcement agencies more legal weapons.

The federal government is combating gun trafficking and forced marriage in one fell swoop.

Major changes to criminal laws, largely aimed at the ice scourge, forced marriages and firearms trafficking have been grouped into a wide-ranging bill before the lower house.

Labor opposes two of the measures.

There was no dissent over toughening penalties for, and definitions of, forced marriage.

That includes defining a marriage as forced if the victim does not consent because she is incapable of understanding what the marriage ceremony means.

Another change it supports would remove the need to prove an "intent to manufacture" when dealing with precursor drugs for the making of drugs like ice.

However Labor's David Feeney said the proposal for a five-year minimum sentence for illegal firearms trafficking was a triumph of ideology over rational public policy.

Labor would prefer tougher maximum - but no minimum - sentences.

Mr Feeney also argued against a more legally esoteric measure that introduces the concept of being "knowingly concerned".

This would mean people could be prosecuted even though they did not fit neatly into existing categories of liability.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan explained the change would ensure those knowingly involved in crimes like illegal drug importation, fraud and insider trading are held responsible even though they are not the person taking delivery of the drug, handing over the money or forging the signature.

Mr Feeney said it was a "vague and open-ended" concept that concerned the Law Council of Australia.


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Source: AAP


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