OUTRAGE over the sentencing of a group who attacked police was the “tipping point” for action which has culminated in a district court judge for the New England.
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Attorney-General Gabrille Upton flew into Armidale yesterday, backed by local MPs Adam Marshall and Kevin Anderson, to announce a permanent position for a district court judge.
The judge, who will choose whether to live in Tamworth or Armidale, will preside on a full-time basis over the two courts, which are struggling to deal with a backlog of criminal cases.
“This is not about putting people in a cell and throwing away the key, but having judges presiding over our cases in our region, and actually having an understanding of our region, because they live here and they’re part of the community,” Mr Marshall said.
“What we perceive as quite a serious incident, i.e., the bashing of police officers, may not be treated as seriously in a metropolitan setting because probably they’re a little more desensitised to it.”
Mr Marshall started the “Jdges for the Bush” campaign in May, after community anger over sentencing decisions was reported by The Leader.
A Glen Innes group were captured by The Leader celebrating after escaping jail for violently attacking police – a decision which forced Ms Upton to ask the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review the sentence.
“For me it was just something that stood out so strongly that it needed some sort of response,” Mr Marshall said.
“It highlights the issue of having judges that live in Sydney fly up making decisions which aren’t reflective of
what the community would expect.”
Some locals are waiting 12 months or more to have trials heard and Ms Upton said the new position would help to clear the backlog.
“We had some very, very strong advocacy,” she said, praising the two Nationals MPs.
“In addition to that, the head of the district court makes decisions about where the work is within the state, and there was a very clear need that the New England region needed to have a full- time district court judge.”
There’s no timeline on when the new judge will take up the position, but Mr Anderson said it will provide efficient and effective justice.
“The backlog causes problems with those in remand, so Tamworth has a jail with a 90-odd bed capacity,” he said.
“So that person is being held and that is clogging up our system in terms of the Corrective Services area, so this will also help to clear that backlog for those that are in jail at the moment.”