PM proposes national framework to keep people convicted of terrorism in jail at the end of their sentence if they are still deemed to pose a threat

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Malcolm Turnbull has written urgently to state premiers and chief ministers asking them to agree on the design of nationally consistent laws for the indefinite detention of terrorists who pose a threat to the public at the end of their sentence.

The prime minister wants a national system to be legislated as quickly as possible, given the increase in the frequency and severity of terrorist attacks globally, particularly in western countries.

He said the legislation would enable a continuing period of imprisonment for high-risk terrorist offenders who could pose a risk if they were released.

Counter-terrorism: Turnbull defends plan that may increase access to mental health records Read more

He said it would be a court-supervised process similar to the arrangements that applied in several jurisdictions for sex offenders and for extremely violent individuals.

The states agreed in principle to do this at the council of Australian governments meeting in April.



“I have asked the attorney general to convene a meeting of all the state and territory attorneys general as soon as practicable to consider the proposed scheme and ensure legislation can be introduced quickly,” Turnbull’s letter said.

“This is a significant public safety and security issue and our governments must do all we can to protect the community from individuals posing a high risk of re-offending and/or those in need of continued rehabilitation. The guiding principles of a post-sentence preventative detention scheme would be that it cover high-risk terrorist offenders and contain appropriate procedural protections and safeguards.”

George Brandis warns against assuming all attacks are terrorism after Munich shooting Read more

Last Friday Turnbull asked the counter-terrorism coordinator, Greg Moriarty, to review the threat of lone-wolf terrorist attacks, including consideration of safety in large public areas and the contribution of mental illness to radicalisation.

He said the review was necessary following terrorist events in which attackers had attached themselves to the “murderous ideology” of Islamic extremism because of other problems such as addiction, antisocial behaviour and mental illness.

The review would consider any lessons for Australia from the attack in Nice, and whether the use of a truck as a weapon “requires assessment of the vulnerability of, and means of protecting, open areas where large numbers congregate”.

On Friday an 18-year-old man killed nine people at a Munich shopping centre. Most of his victims were fellow teenagers, five of them under 16.