Podcasts Other The Mike Hosking Breakfast Steve Cullen: Criminal barrister says Covid-19 isn't a suitable excuse to allow people to skip serving criminal penalties

Steve Cullen: Criminal barrister says Covid-19 isn't a suitable excuse to allow people to skip serving criminal penalties

Published: Oct. 24, 2022, 6:28 p.m.

b'

A barrister says Covid-19 isn\'t a suitable excuse to allow people to skip serving criminal penalties.

\\n

Newstalk ZB can reveal in the year to August, about 82,000 hours have been cancelled under the now-expired Epidemic Preparedness Notice.

\\n

That notice was used to clear the hours, with Covid restrictions making it difficult for sentences to be completed.

\\n

Criminal barrister Steve Cullen told Mike Hosking it was probably just done for logistical reasons.

\\n

He says the Government just made it up and the rule usually is if a penalty isn\'t served in a certain time, the person\'s brought back before the court and subject to a further sanction.

\\n

They\'re generally misdemeanours like unpaid fines and traffic offences.

\\n

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'