Question Without Notice No. 553 asked in the Legislative Council on 14 August 2018 by Hon Michael Mischin
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
DECLARED DANGEROUS SEX OFFENDERS
553. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Leader of the House representing the Attorney General:
(1) Since he was appointed Attorney General, how many applications have been made to have offenders declared dangerous sex offenders under the Dangerous Sexual Offenders Act 2006?
(2) How many declarations have been made, and on what dates?
(3) How many declared sex offenders have been released from custody on conditions?
(4) Has the Attorney General appealed any decisions to release declared dangerous sex offenders from custody; and, if not, is it because he now concedes that he was wrong when he insisted in opposition that an Attorney General has the power to do so?
(5) If he continues to claim that he has the power to appeal, why has he not done so?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question, and while I am on my feet in response to him, may I formally offer him my congratulations on his recent important event as well.
(1) Between 17 March 2017 and 14 August 2018, seven new applications have been made to have offenders declared dangerous sex offenders under the Dangerous Sexual Offenders Act 2006.
(2) A total of three DSO declarations were made between 17 March 2017 and 14 August 2018. Two of those declarations arose from the seven new DSO applications to which the answer to (1) refers, with the third being from a previous DSO application that was finalised during that period. The decisions were delivered on 3 October 2017, 24 November 2017 and 4 May 2018.
(3) Seven DSOs were released on supervision orders under strict conditions for management in the community between 17 March 2017 and 14 August 2018.
(4)–(5) The Attorney General has not appealed any decisions. Where the Director of Public Prosecutions exercises its functions and powers, the Attorney General is also taken to have exercised his functions and powers as per sections 6(1) and 6(2) of the Dangerous Sexual Offenders Act 2006.