Tougher bail laws have passed the Northern Territory parliament following the fatal stabbing of a bottle shop worker in Darwin 10 days ago, but the reforms will not apply to offences involving improvised weapons such as rocks and bottles.
The death of 20-year-old Declan Laverty sparked widespread community grief and triggered calls for legislative reforms after it emerged his alleged killer had been on bail at the time.
In response, the NT government announced a suite of measures, including amendments to the Bail Act.
Alleged co-offenders will also be subject to a presumption against bail even if they do not possess a weapon themselves.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the government had listened to the public's concerns.
"We refuse to let knife crime be the norm here in the territory, and this bill sends a strong message to the community," she told parliament on Wednesday.
"If you are charged with a violent offence involving a weapon, the expectation is you will be held on remand until your case is heard."
The bail changes will apply to 22 different types of "controlled weapons", including crossbows, spearguns, daggers, swords, cattle prods and laser pointers.
They will also apply to 31 "prohibited weapons", including various knives, knuckle-dusters, imitation firearms, ninja climbing claws and acoustic anti-personnel devices.
But Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said "offensive weapons" — such as rocks, bottles, golf clubs, and vehicles — had not been included in the reforms.
"If you're a violent offender out there and you want to threaten or attack someone with a golf club, you will get a presumption in favour of bail," she said.
"If you go out there and threaten someone with a smashed-up piece of glass or a glass bottle, you will walk into court with a position of getting bail first."
Concerns raised about further changes
The Criminal Lawyers Association NT cautioned against the inclusion of "offensive" weapons in any further bail reforms.
"The definition of 'offensive weapon' is extremely broad," the association's vice president Clancy Dane said.
"I have personally seen garlic bread and lollies particularised as offensive weapons.
"An expansion of the laws to include offensive weapons would compound the issues already raised and give rise to real injustice."
He said the bail changes that passed parliament will put further pressure on the NT's overcrowded correctional system.
"Our prisons are already bursting at the seams, additional strain on that system is not to be taken lightly," he said.
"Human rights are at stake here, and people risk coming out the other end more hardened, more institutionalised, and more likely to commit further crimes."
Mr Dane also said children accused of crimes would be "worst affected" by the amendments.
"Adults already face a raft of presumptions against bail which have proven to be ineffective at reducing crime," he said.
"Under these laws, children as young as 10 would face a presumption that they go to Don Dale or Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre simply for being 'in company' with a person who falls foul of the provision."
Earlier on Wednesday, Attorney-General Chansey Paech said the government's amendments were designed to "stamp out knife crime".
He said any decision to include other weapons in the provisions would be part of an ongoing review of the Bail Act.
"There's work to still be done and we are absolutely doing that," Mr Paech told Mix FM.
