Call to abolish double jeopardy rule
Posted
Victims of crime advocates are making a new bid to end the law of double jeopardy in Victoria.
The 800-year-old rule means no one can be tried twice for the same offence.
The Crime Victims Support Association will present a submission to the Law Institute tomorrow, calling for the law to be dropped.
President, Noel McNamara, says there is a double standard when guilty verdicts can be proven wrong, but people can not appeal against acquittals.
"If someone gets off a particular case and then fresh evidence becomes available, DNA or otherwise, they could get away with murder and that's wrong," he said.
The Law Institute of Victoria has rejected the call for change.
President, Tony Bourke says the double jeopardy rule lifts the threat of repeated prosecutions.
"The important principle here is that people who are acquitted should be entitled to get on with their lives without the fear of having repeated prosecutions in an unequal contest when the state always has far greater resources," he said.
