Member

Calls to extend this deadline for victims have previously been met with the Government emphasising the importance of finality in the sentencing of offenders. For victims, though, there is currently no such finality. Offenders often have considerable flexibility to appeal a sentence. Cases have been shared with the Victims’ Commissioner in which an appeal has been lodged more than 180 days after sentencing, creating a structural imbalance and a clear disparity between the rights of victims and offenders.