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Inquiry backs terrorist post-sentence jail

A parliamentary committee has recommended parliament pass a bill for the continuing detention of convicted high-risk terrorists, but suggests some changes.

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File image. Source: AAP

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Source: AAP


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A parliamentary committee has backed a bill that would allow convicted high-risk terrorist offenders to be kept behind bars beyond their jail sentences.

But it recommends it excludes those found guilty of treason and publishing recruitment advertisements.

The bipartisan report, released on Friday, also suggests extending the time available to the attorney-general to apply for a continuing detention order from six months to one year before the offender's prison term ends.

The committee also proposed introducing an initial sunset period of 10 years, a clear implementation plan and a review of the regime after five years.

"Where a terrorist offender continues to present an unacceptable risk to the community, it is appropriate that - subject to strict safeguards and oversight - a court be able to issue an order for that offender to be detained beyond the end of their sentence," chair and Liberal MP Michael Sukkar said.

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The Australian Lawyers Alliance believes the bill will likely to be unconstitutional and represents a "radical change" to the criminal law.

"It will ask judges to predict the future and allow people to be detained indefinitely out of a fear they will commit non-violent crime," spokesman and barrister Greg Barns said in a statement.

He said laws of this nature have their origins in Nazi Germany.


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