Abstract
[Extract] Queensland has introduced tough new anti-bikie laws. Kate Galloway, Senior Lecturer at the School of Law at James Cook University, sees a number of problems with the new legislation.
The month of October has seen an extraordinary suite of legislative change in Queensland, spearheaded by what the government calls an ‘emergency’. In a crackdown (‘war’) on bikies, Parliament has passed a number of laws designed to ‘destroy’ criminal bikie gangs in Queensland.
The laws declare a number of gangs unlawful – including rendering it an offence to enter a clubhouse or to wear the club’s ‘colours’. As a result, a man in Mt Isa was arrested and had a club belt buckle confiscated and destroyed, and two Cairns men have been arrested for entering the Cairns Odin’s Warriors’ clubhouse. Further, the Vicious Lawless Associations Disestablishment Act imposes mandatory sentences upon those who carry out an offence in furtherance of the aims of an association. There is a list of offences, including murder and drugs offences, sex offences and publication of obscene materials. The definition of association is any group of more than three people.
The month of October has seen an extraordinary suite of legislative change in Queensland, spearheaded by what the government calls an ‘emergency’. In a crackdown (‘war’) on bikies, Parliament has passed a number of laws designed to ‘destroy’ criminal bikie gangs in Queensland.
The laws declare a number of gangs unlawful – including rendering it an offence to enter a clubhouse or to wear the club’s ‘colours’. As a result, a man in Mt Isa was arrested and had a club belt buckle confiscated and destroyed, and two Cairns men have been arrested for entering the Cairns Odin’s Warriors’ clubhouse. Further, the Vicious Lawless Associations Disestablishment Act imposes mandatory sentences upon those who carry out an offence in furtherance of the aims of an association. There is a list of offences, including murder and drugs offences, sex offences and publication of obscene materials. The definition of association is any group of more than three people.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Open Forum |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Oct 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
