The State Government is reportedly set to outlaw good character references after senior Western Power staff vouched for the character of a colleague who sexually assaulted a woman while on a work trip.
What is a good character reference?
Legal Aid WA defines it as a document written by someone with good standing or in an important position within the community, as well as a person who has known the defendant for a long period of time. It is provided to a magistrate or judge to show that people in the defendant’s daily life think highly of them.
Seven West Media revealed in August that Jeff Spinner was handed a reduced sentence after colleagues at Western Power provided references demonstrating that the 2024 rape of his colleague was “out of character”.
Youth Jam does not suggest that those who provided good character references condone the criminal behaviour.
What is next?
As a result, the Attorney General now says the government will remove references for all sentencing hearings, having already committed to removing them for cases involving child abuse.
“The Cook Labor Government is committed to protecting the community, and our decision to scrap good character references at sentencing hearings ensure that victims are always put first,” he told Seven West Media.
The final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, handed down in December 2017, recommended scrapping references for those convicted of child abuse. Laws addressing the report’s recommendations will now be expanded to include amendments to the Sentencing Act 1995.
Youth Jam has sought confirmation from Dr Tony Buti’s parliamentary office.
