Alcohol Violence in Sydney Triggers Law Reform
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Mandatory eight-year jail sentences for fatal one-punch attacks fuelled by alcohol or drugs are among are raft of measures to be introduced to curb alcohol-related violence in Sydney.
The so-called one-punch laws, announced by New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell today, include expanded Sydney CBD lockout zones, a freeze on new liquor licences, and the statewide closure of bottle shops at 10:00pm.
Sentences for serious assaults involving alcohol will also be increased by two years.
"It is no longer acceptable to go out and drink yourself stupid, take illicit substances, start fights, 'coward punch' people or engage in other assaults thinking you [will] get away with it," Mr O'Farrell said.
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Under the laws, there will be a mandatory 1:30am lockout for licensed premises across an expanded Sydney CBD entertainment precinct, spanning from Kings Cross to Darling Harbour.
Drinks will not be allowed to be served after 3:00am, but premises can remain open.
Full article
here.
These changes to legislation have been introduced in reaction to coward punches in the cross over the past few years. A coward punch is where someone typically off their face drunk punches someone half their size and they are killed in one blow.
I logged onto Facebook today to see most my friends list arguing against these new laws saying how wrong it is and it won't reduce levels of violence. I am sorry but if you need to be getting drunk at 3am you have serious problems with your life.
People are also claiming this won't reduce levels of violence because the coward punches were happening at earlier times however the same situation was mirrored in the city of Newcastle a few years ago and the same changes to legislation worked in reducing alcohol fuelled violence by 30%. Sydney hospitals are already clogged up with drunken idiots every night in the emergency department, my mom who worked as a surgeon is quite relieved something is finally being done about alcohol abuse in general.
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It's hard to argue the numbers - Newcastle had seven venues on the state's most violent list before the NSW Liquor Administration Board imposed unprecedented licensing conditions on 14 pubs and clubs in 2008. They included a 1am lockout, reduced trading hours and a prohibition on shots or mixed drinks with more than 30ml of alcohol.
Within a year, assaults after dark had dropped by almost a third. By 2011 the city was recording 35 per cent fewer non-domestic night time assaults. Street offences requiring police had fallen by half.
Full article
here.
The only thing I don't agree in terms of the new laws is the bottleshop hours closure. I would rather they be open all night so people can drink in their home at least.
So what are your thoughts?
Based on this information do you think the lock outs are necessary or should places be open indefinitely to allow people to drink?
