SIMON Corbell has announced the passage of laws to reduce the likelihood of child sex offenders reoffending.

Simon said that the amendments made by the Crimes (Child Sex Offenders) Amendment Bill 2015 would provide police with a number of specialised new powers to monitor offenders and protect the human rights of children and their families in the ACT.

“Officers will be able to apply for an entry and search warrant to verify details that have been reported by registered offenders, check compliance with prohibition orders, and request access to electronic data where necessary,” Simon said.

“Further reforms will allow, in certain limited circumstances and on application to the court, the registration of certain previous offenders and the removal of an offender from the register, and also allow a young offender to apply to a sentencing court not to be registered.

“New laws will clarify that police may issue a public notice about a registered offender if they believe there may be a risk to the safety of one or more people or of the community in general.

“The amendments to the ACT’s child sex offender registration scheme will also help ACT Policing to investigate and prosecute any future offences that registered offenders may commit.

“The reforms reflect a proactive, modern and practical approach to managing registered child sex offenders.

“They also emphasise the important fact that the ACT’s children are entitled to protection without distinction or discrimination.

“The reforms strike an appropriate balance between the proposed police powers, the rights and safety of children and the community, and the rights of registered offenders, within our human rights framework.”