DPP’s radical vision for our courts: criminals must pay

The South Australian Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Pallaras, has outlined a number of innovations which he hopes will stimulate debate. He feels that convicted criminals should pay the cost of their trials, while people who are acquitted would be reimbursed. He believes that sentencing should be reviewed, with more consideration given to victims of crime. Other ideas include a national body to test Australian systems against universal standards of justice.

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Canadian farmers unite against Ridley

Ridley Corporation has escaped a small part of a legal nightmare in Canada, but the fight is far from over. The Superior Court of Ontario has struck out a class action against the Australian stockfeed company. However, claims against Ridley are still to be heard in the superior courts of three other Canadian states. Also, the action was not struck out against Ridley’s 69 per cent subsidiary, Ridley Incorporated. Canadian farmers have alleged that Ridley sold stockfeed containing ruminant remains until 1997 in that nation, and that Ridley products were the source of a bovine spongiform encephalopathy case in the state of Alberta. Ridley could still face a huge class action.

The Australian Financial Review

Adelaide city skyline’s $6bn move upward

New rules allowing taller buildings in Adelaide’s CBD will radically change the look of the South Australian capital. Developers have plans for $1 billion worth of construction in 2006. According to Adelaide City Council, the changes in planning laws have the potential to add a further $5.8 billion of development. The new height limits vary but together they will give developers an additional 1.4 million sq m of floor space.

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