Qld: Beattie urges caution on double jeopardy
By Paul Osborne
BRISBANE, April 10 AAP - Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today urged caution on changesto double jeopardy laws.
A meeting of attorneys-general today in Melbourne will discuss calls to change the800-year-old law, which were sparked by the case of the killing of 17-month-old DeidreKennedy.
Deidre was taken from her Ipswich home in 1973 and bashed, sexually assaulted and discardedon the roof of a public toilet block.
Her accused killer, Raymond John Carroll, was twice found guilty over the murder butstill walks free after three successful appeals on legal technicalities, including thenotion of double jeopardy.
The law prevents someone from being tried twice for the same crime.
Mr Beattie told reporters Queensland Attorney-General Rod Welford would be tablinga discussion paper on the issue at today's meeting and calling for a working party.
He said the paper spelled out a range of options, including overturning the principlein cases where a decision was "tainted", but the issue needed a lot more work.
"Let's not rush into it - the double jeopardy principle is a very important one ...
but there may be options that can be considered," Mr Beattie said.
Mr Beattie said he did not believe in making law changes retrospective.
AAP pjo/sc/rcg/bwl
KEYWORD: CARROLL BEATTIE
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