Child sex, drug cases ‘too costly’
Child sex, drug cases ‘too costly’
THE Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions plans to stop prosecuting all summary child sexual assault cases and drug offences under a proposal submitted to the State Government to save money.
Instead, those cases will be handled by police - a move even the DPP admits could compromise justice, with less competent prosecutors handling those vital cases.
The state’s top criminal prosecution agency is also proposing to axe its role in Supreme Court bail hearings for cases it hasn’t prosecuted and to scale back appeals against lenient sentences.
It is proposing to hand over many of these functions to lesser-trained police - all in order to achieve about $4 million in savings meant to have been shaved off backroom operations.
Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery admitted in his own submission to Treasury that some of the proposals would have a serious impact on the administration of justice in NSW.
But the radical proposition also came with a controversial request.
The Daily Telegraph reports that only two weeks after submitting the proposal, Mr Cowdery sought approval to attend two taxpayer-funded, work-related overseas trips, one of which includes a cocktail party in Montreal.
DPP finance audit recommended
The cutback plan has so alarmed both Attorney-General John Hatzistergos and Treasurer Michael Costa that Mr Costa has taken the unprecedented step of referring the entire agency to the independent Auditor-General over concerns it is being financially mismanaged.
Mr Costa is considering quarantining emergency funds in the state budget to be delivered on June 19 to cover the costs of any prosecutions that would be axed as a result of the proposal.
A letter from Mr Hatzistergos to Mr Costa, obtained by the Daily Telegraph and dated May 29, contained the following: “The DPP has proposed a series of cuts to frontline functions performed by his office, for example to cease to prepare and conduct summary prosecutions for child sex assault.
“The DPP cites budgetary constraints as the reason why he proposes these cuts in functions.
“At the same time, however, he has written to me requesting permission for him and several officers to travel overseas this year.
“I would appreciate your urgent consideration and advice in relation to the matters raised.”
The proposed cuts
The Daily Telegraph reports that a copy of the DPP’s draft proposal on cost savings for the financial year 2007-2008, filed on April 23, outlines nine fundamental functions that it proposes be cut, including:
# Ceasing to appear in Supreme Court bail hearings where the DPP is not prosecuting;
# Cease to prepare and conduct summary prosecutions for child sexual assault;
# Cease the prosecution of drug offences; and
# A more stringent policy in relation to prosecution appeals.
Mr Cowdery noted in the submission dated April 23: “These are the only areas of change in respect of which my office can make financial savings on the scale required.
“It is not advocated that all or any of these options should be pursued. They are possibilities.
“They are changes that can be made with the least impact on the core work of the Office …”
In the case of summary child sexual assault offences, the DPP proposed that all prosecutions be handed over to police.
In his own assessment of the impact of this change Mr Cowdery admitted: “Reduction in the levels of competence and experience in those doing the work may have adverse effects on administration of justice and on victims.”
He also admitted the other cuts would have “huge political” impact.
All Government departments have been required to submit a plan on 1 per cent costs savings - which in the case of the DPP amounts to $4.324 million.
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