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Laws for fraud offences under review
A review is currently being conducted of the sentencing laws for fraud offences in NSW, in a move the Attorney-General said will ensure the laws remain “fit to purpose”.
Lauren Croft
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The independent review, conducted by the NSW Sentencing Council, will determine whether fraud-related NSW sentencing laws strike the right balance between upholding community safety, reducing crime and promoting offender rehabilitation, according to Attorney-General Mark Speakman.
“Fraudsters often prey on some of the most vulnerable people in our community,” he said.
“We need to ensure sentences for fraud offences remain fit for purpose and continue to reflect community expectations. That’s why I’ve asked the NSW Sentencing Council to conduct a wide-ranging review into this important area of law.”
The Sentencing Council will examine statistics for convictions over a five-year period and investigate the characteristics of offenders, sentence type and length as part of the review. The council will also evaluate key principles for fraud sentencing and reasoning by judges, as well as “any other significant factors considered in sentencing decisions that explain how courts come to their final decision on sentence”.
The Sentencing Council will conduct comprehensive public consultation during the review before making any recommendations for reform that it considers appropriate.
“I encourage all legal practitioners, judicial officers, reporters, academics, and any other community member to make their voices heard when submissions open later this month,” Mr Speakman added.
Each year more than 15,000 fraud and fraud-related offences go through the courts in NSW, and there are more than 100 separate offence types.
The review will focus on Obtain property belonging to another by deception and Obtain financial advantage or cause financial disadvantage by deception, which make up the vast majority of finalised charges.
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.
