Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (12:59): I contribute briefly to debate on the Justice Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill (No 2) 2025, particularly where it concerns changes to the Corrections portfolio and the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999—or CAS Act—which the Parliament passed this year and that came into effect on 12 May 2025. The reforms implement recommendation 4 of the Astill inquiry, which was the only recommendation requiring amendments to the CAS Act. Those changes strengthen the misconduct offence under section 236Q, which prohibits Corrective Services officers from entering into an intimate or sexual relationship with an inmate.

It is acknowledged that inmates may not feel safe reporting an alleged offence committed by a correctional employee, under section 236Q and within the six-month time limit, or to commence proceedings for these offences under that section. That means by the time an inmate victim reports alleged offences, the six-month time limit may have passed, making it too late to commence proceedings. In response, the bill amends section 236Q of the CAS Act to extend the time limit within which proceedings can be commenced for offences under the section from six months to two years.