By Anthony Barich
A STAR-studded Law and Order forum at the University of Notre Dame Australia will counter the “superficial”, media-driven debate on crime in Western Australia, its organiser says.
Hosted by ABC Radio’s Geoff Hutchison, the 29 May forum at UNDA’s Drill Hall in Fremantle will include WA Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan, WA Chief Justice Wayne Martin, Nyoongar elder Dr Noel Nannup, Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders, Malcolm McCusker QC and The West Australian journalist Colleen Egan.
The inaugural event’s keynote speaker is South Australia’s Commissioner for Social Inclusion, Monsignor David Cappo.
Forum organiser, UNDA Politics lecturer Martin Drum, told The Record that “often law and order is debated on a superficial level; we think it’s time people hear a more in-depth discussion, as it’s always been an issue people are personally concerned about”.
“When it comes to crime, public debate is all about how long we should lock them away for, when it should be about why are they committing the acts, what are the causes and the effects of public policies. General news will show another place that’s been broken in to or another misbehaviour in Northbridge, when instead we should be discussing whether our response is a long-term one,” he said.
Dr Drum said that, in the interests of fostering social justice and discussing ways to make the community fairer and more equitable, it is the responsibility of the Catholic university to engage the broader community in meaningful public debate in issues of importance to it.
While UNDA politics students, politicians and people from the law fraternity are expected to attend, the forum is open to the public.
A specialist panel chaired by Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt will discuss crime prevention and juvenile crime, with WA Office of Crime Prevention associate director David Wray outlining the State Government’s policies in this area. Curtin University Associate Professor Tony Butler of the National Drug Research Institute will discuss his research on the effects of drugs and their relation to the causes of crime. WA Children’s Court Magistrate Deen Potter will discuss why youth fall foul of the law and the best approach to remedying it.
Also on this panel is Alex Cassie, a youth who formed the Search For Your Rights Movement in protest against the WA Government’s controversial stop and search powers legislation which Premier Colin Barnett introduced last year to help combat the increase in crime and anti-social behaviour. She will also discuss online networking as a resource to mobilise protest support.
A specialist panel devoted to sentencing and indigenous incarceration chaired by UNDA Dean of Law Jane Power will include Dr Drum, Dr Nannup, WA Children’s Court Judge Denis Reynolds and Murdoch University’s Dr Dot Goulding from the Prison Reform Group of WA who researched the area and worked with prisoners.
The main feature is a high-powered panel chaired by Mr Hutchison discussing broad-ranging issues, including Bishop Saunders, Mr Egan, Chief Justice Martin, Mr McCusker QC and Police Commissioner O’Callaghan.