The Palaszczuk Government has directed the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council (QSAC) undertake a review and provide recommendations concerning how serious offenders are sentenced in Queensland.
The Serious Violent Offence (SVO) scheme operates under the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 and applies to offenders who have been sentenced for a range of serious offences.
Once a person is declared to be convicted of an SVO, they are not eligible for parole until they have served the lesser of either 80 per cent of their sentence or 15 years imprisonment.
The Attorney said that consultation would be undertaken with key stakeholders as part of the review, including with the judiciary, legal professionals, victims of crime groups, child protection and domestic, family and sexual violence advocacy groups, and other government agencies.
QSAC is expected to provide a report to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence in 2022.