Harsher Penalties for Crimes Against Pregnant People of Any Gender, and Sex Is Now Part of Serious Vilification
Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (No 3)
Introduced by: Tara Cheyne (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
Aggravated offences are now gender-neutral; this includes crimes against pregnant persons.
Serious and unlawful vilification now includes conduct based on sex or association with a protected group.
Courts must consider if an offender knew a victim was pregnant when deciding a sentence.
Fines for Australian legal practitioners go up; some maximums rise from $1,500 to $10,000 or $10,000 to $25,000.
The National Authority can give prohibition notices to the commissioner under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011.
The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal can let a party inspect or copy documents produced under a subpoena.
Complainants can amend a Human Rights Commission complaint at any time with permission from the commission.
Aggravated crimes, including those against pregnant people, now apply to any person regardless of their gender.
Serious and unlawful vilification now includes conduct based on a person's sex or their association with a protected group.
The National Authority can now tell the commissioner if a prohibition notice has been given under the Education and Care Services National Law.
The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal can allow a party to inspect or copy documents and items produced under a subpoena.
Courts must consider if an offender knew, or should have known, that a victim was pregnant when deciding a sentence.
The definition of potential pregnancy now applies to any person regardless of their gender.
People making complaints to the Human Rights Commission can amend their complaint at any time if the commission allows it.