These are perhaps the most notorious alcohol controls introduced by the government of former New South Wales Premier Barry O`Farrell following a series of high-profile assaults by alcohol-addicted people on the streets of Sydney. Around the same time that the “one-punch” law was introduced, the New South Wales government also introduced controversial “lockout laws” in various Sydney entertainment districts to reduce alcohol-related violence. The Queanbeyan case is a far cry from the violence that led to the introduction of the legislation, said Julia Quilter, associate professor at the University of Wollongong Law School. Single-punch attacks, also known as “king`s hits” or “cowardly punches,” have dominated the media in recent years. These terms refer to attacks in which one person hits another person in the head and hits them unconsciously, leaving the victim exposed to further head trauma upon impact with the ground. In recent years, a worrying trend has developed among young men committing such assaults in public places under the influence of alcohol and killing the victim. In July 2012, 18-year-old Thomas Kelly was walking down Victoria Street in Kings Cross with his girlfriend when he was punched in the face. It was an unprovoked attack. He fell backwards and broke his skull on the sidewalk. According to a study by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, one-punch reforms were associated with an immediate 32% reduction in reported assaults in Kings Cross and a 26% reduction in attacks in Sydney`s central business district. The offence of “assault causing death” is also known as the “one-punch” law, which was introduced in 2014 following a series of high-profile and drunken assaults in Sydney`s central business district that killed and/or seriously injured young people – mostly young men.
“The unintended consequences of the general way the VA provision has operated with a number of issues pursued that have little to do with the public authority punch scenario should be a warning in New South Wales about the possible unintended operational effects of S 25A,” the submission states. Preventive alcohol checks before alcohol laws `one punch` “These people don`t stop and consider the consequences before throwing a punch,” Ramsay said. Two years ago, the New South Wales government introduced punch offences to focus on accidental and drunken street violence in and around licensed establishments. This was in the wake of high-profile deaths at Kings Cross in Sydney. The young man who delivered the blow, Kieran Loveridge, was sentenced to 4 years in prison for manslaughter. The ACT government has ruled out introducing harsher penalties for punch attacks, but is discussing other alternative reforms to address alcohol-related violence in the community, in addition to those promised during the election campaign. The New South Wales government`s alcohol reforms “Just as it happens when rash legislation is rushed into legislation to deal with a particular situation and someone later finds out how it can be enforced,” he said. ACT Attorney General Gordon Ramsay said the one-punch crimes were not committed by people who might be subject to harsher penalties. For example, Daniel Christie hit the sidewalk a few meters from where Thomas Kelly fell after being fatally beaten on New Year`s Eve 2013. A 15-year-old boy from Queanbeyan who is charged under the controversial one-punch law for accidentally killing his younger brother is a prime example of how laws failed in their intentions, legal experts say. “Decades ago, no one would have beaten a nurse,” he says.
But nowadays, spitting, hitting and kicking are the order of the day. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that the deceased backed away when he was beaten by the accused and was beaten with such force that he was probably unconscious before hitting the ground. In 2014, after several high-profile punch attacks in New South Wales, the state government introduced new laws to regulate crimes of this nature and impose harsh sentences on offenders convicted of a fatal punch attack. It also amended the criminal law so that intoxication can no longer be used as a mitigating circumstance if it is voluntary. A 42-year-old man allegedly punched Mr Davidson in the face outside a Newcastle hotel on Saturday, September 25, 2022, causing him to fall and bang his head on the pavement. The new legislation on punch attacks offers courts and police a multifaceted approach to dealing effectively with such attacks. In addition to the introduction of a new, clearly defined criminal offence, the new police powers and strict minimum penalties are a significant deterrent to other potential offenders. In a filing for the legal review scheduled for the first half of 2017, Dr Quilter said his inquiry into Western Australian laws had shown that 40% of prosecutions involved men who had killed their partner or ex-partner in circumstances where there had been a history of violence and abuse.
