Labor’s Mandatory Sentencing Problem

It couldn’t be clearer. Labor’s 2023 National Platform states:

Labor opposes mandatory sentencing. This practice does not reduce crime but does undermine the independence of the judiciary, lead to unjust outcomes and is often discriminatory in practice.

Labor’s position against mandatory sentencing has been long-standing and for good reason: anyone with practical experience in the criminal justice system knows those criticisms of mandatory sentencing to be true.