Offences ’overdone' (Press, 22 January 1975)
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Summary: Offences ’overdone' (Press, 22 January 1975)
On 20 January 1975, Dr J. L. Robson, the head of the school of criminology at Victoria University, made a significant recommendation at the 46th Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (A.N.Z.A.A.S.) congress held at the Australian National University in Canberra. He suggested that various minor crimes should be removed from the legal system to enable police and justice authorities to focus their efforts on more serious criminal activities. Dr Robson identified specific offences that he believed should be abolished, including homosexual acts between consenting adults, drunkenness, and several statutory violations such as trading after hours. He argued that removing these minor offences would not lead to an increase in their occurrence, asserting that the existing legal framework often complicates the role of law enforcement and judicial systems. In his address, he emphasized that while laws must ensure that the public feels reasonably protected from wrongdoing, the current approach to criminalising a wide range of behaviours might be excessive. Dr Robson's insights prompt a discussion on the necessity of certain laws and the potential benefits of a legal system that prioritises serious crime over minor offences.
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