Harsher sentences for child sex offenders, better support for children in the justice system and judges who have studied psychology.
This is the simple vision outlined to The Weekly Online by NSW Attorney-General, Gabrielle Upton this week.
Ms Upton is an accomplished lawyer who, like Julie Bishop, is ready to “Just get on with it.”
When we meet, the conversation quickly turns to her appointment as the first female Attorney-General of NSW. It’s a high five for feminism, yes? Not exactly. Ms Upton says she struggles with the feminist label.
“I don’t identify with it so perhaps it’s not as crucial to put a label around it,” she says.
“Look if being a feminist is saying every opportunity is available for women and it is there for you to strive for if you choose, then yes, I’m a feminist. But I think there’s a lot of baggage with that.
“If that [sexist] comment comes you go, ‘Well, I’m not particularly happy with it’ but you let it go. And you reclaim your authority by what you say and what you do after that.”
And her eyes light up when she talks about her plans for NSW.
The first order of business: increasing the maximum sentence of child sex offenders abusing children under the age of 10 to mandatory life. It is currently 25 years.
“I think we’ve got to have a system that punishes offenders in a way that the community expects, but also takes care of the victims and I think we can do a better job at that,” she says.
“[The courts] can only really act on the laws that we have, so by making sure we’ve got a penalty for life for that horrible crime, we’ll give them what probably some of [the judges] would say they need.”
Ms Upton tells The Weekly online she wants to bring the change to NSW parliament this term, along with other recommendations aimed to increase child protection in the justice system.
These include introducing ‘Children’s Champions’ to assist children giving evidence in the justice system and ‘specialist judges’ who will have greater “understanding and expertise” in cases of child abuse.
These judges may have a background in psychology, counselling or child protection, says Ms Upton, who also intends to make sure children only give evidence once in court.
“The experience of justice needs to be fair to the victim, and I think we’ve failed our victims many times because we haven’t compounded their suffering through them having to repeat it, and be re-living that pain,” says Ms Upton.
Ms Upton speaking when she was Minister for Sport and Recreation in 2013
The NSW Attorney-General’s focus on children in the justice system doesn’t come down to her being a woman and mother, she claims, but her previous portfolio as Minister for Family and Community Services.
Ms Upton, who has worked as an investment banker in New York and Deputy Chancellor at the University of New South Wales, will also be looking into the efficiency of the justice system.
The first female Attorney-General for the state isn’t the only woman in the Baird government to be appointed to a position of power not previously held by another woman in NSW, with the Premier appointing Gladys Berejiklian to state Treasurer.
Pru Goward was also appointed Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault after the election, a new portfolio created by the Baird government to tackle the domestic violence epidemic sweeping the country.
“I think firsts still needs to be celebrated because there still are firsts,” says Ms Upton who claims the biggest issue for women still remains their “participation in community and society from the top levels.”
“[Women need] to speak out, to be brave and for all those opportunities to be there. They need to not feel limited in any fashion, and to get on with that.”
