NSW Labor - abolish character references for sexual offenders

Dear Premier,
 
Nation-leading reforms that would abolish ‘good character’ as a mitigating factor in sexual offences have now passed the NSW Upper House, with Greens amendments supported by all members, excluding Members of the Labor Government. These laws would make NSW the first jurisdiction to make this important change, and directly respond to the tireless campaigning of victim-survivors, including the ‘Your Reference Ain’t Relevant’ campaign. 
 
The bill in its original form would have removed ‘good character’ at sentencing entirely. This blanket abolition was opposed by many legal, human rights, and victim-survivor advocates, including Domestic Violence NSW, the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), Legal Aid NSW, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, and the NSW Bar Association. 
 
Domestic Violence NSW said that: “the removal of good character as a mitigating factor may create unintended and disproportionate consequences for misidentified victim-survivors” 
 
Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) said that: “good character is not synonymous with social privilege. For our clients, good character as a mitigating factor can enable a court to take into account a client’s contributions to their community even where they do not hold privileged social status” 
 
The Upper House has responded to all of these voices directly and limited the abolition of ‘good character’ at sentencing for sexual offences. The amended bill means that ‘good character’ is retained in sentencing some of the most vulnerable people in our community, including:
<ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 300;" aria-level="1">Victims of domestic violence, who retaliate against abusers and are then misidentified by police as abusers</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Vulnerable First Nations people, who are disproportionately policed, and want to put forward evidence from Elders</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">People charged with victimless crimes, such as minor drug possession </li>
</ul>
 
In the next sitting of the Lower House, you have the opportunity to pass these nation-leading reforms for victim-survivors. This change had near-unanimous support in the Upper House, and now your government has the chance to pass these reforms into law. 
 
I urge you to pass the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment (Good Character at Sentencing) Bill 2026, as amended and passed by the NSW Upper House.

NSW Labor - abolish character references for sexual offenders

Something amazing happened in the NSW Upper House this week - we voted for laws to protect victim-survivors by making sure perpetrators can’t use “good character” references to get lesser sentences.

The Bill is now sitting in the Lower House - and we are one vote away from making it law next week.

Labor Premier Chris Minns needs to pass this law, and I need your help to make sure he does.

Thankfully, I was also able to secure amendments to the Bill making sure that the abolition of good character evidence only applied to sexual offences and didn’t have unintended consequences for vulnerable people.

This is a really important Bill that will improve justice for victim-survivors in the criminal justice system. NSW has the chance to lead the nation. It’s now up to the Minns Labor Government in the Lower House to vote for these reforms, so that they can become law.

We only have a few short days until parliament resumes and Labor MPs need to know that they must pass this Bill urgently.

Will you email MPs right now?

NSW Labor - abolish character references for sexual offenders

NSW Labor - abolish character references for sexual offenders

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