'Castle law' petition highlights crime concerns in Queensland

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Tens of thousands of Queenslanders are backing a petition calling for the state to introduce new laws that would allow them to use lethal force to defend their homes.

Transcript

00:00More than 40,000 Queenslanders have signed a petition supporting proposed changes to

00:07laws that would allow people to kill a home intruder without legal consequences.

00:13It comes after CATA's Australian party last month introduced the Castle Law Bill, which

00:18seeks to amend the Queensland Criminal Code and allow people to lawfully respond to a

00:23home invasion by using such force that could cause grievous bodily harm and even death.

00:30Current laws already allow for the use of reasonable force in circumstances of self-defence,

00:36but the proposed changes argue people should be able to use whatever force necessary to

00:40protect themselves, another person or their property.

00:44The party's deputy leader, Nick D'Ameto, says the number of people that have signed this

00:49petition reflects the level of community fear around crime.

00:54A parliamentary committee is currently considering the bill, but the Queensland Law Society

00:58has strongly opposed the changes.

01:01They say the way the draft laws are written amounts to state-sanctioned murder.

01:07And the state's Attorney-General, Yvette Darth, has said while the government acknowledges

01:11the number of people that have signed the petition, the state has no plans to review

01:17the provisions for self-defence in the Criminal Code.

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