SYDNEY, Australia's Victoria state on Wednesday rolled out a slew of reforms for its counterterrorism laws, covering preventative detention of suspects and police powers to use lethal force on them.
Under the reforms, police will be able to detain terror suspects without a court order or a warrant for up to four days, while children aged 14 or above may also be detained for up to 36 hours, according to a statement from the state attorneygeneral.
The counterterrorism measures also "clarify Victoria Police's powers to use lethal force in response to a lifethreatening act where it may be the last opportunity to safely and effectively intervene."
The new laws will "streamline the authorization of special police powers, and create new powers to take control of premises. Special powers include the right to search people and vehicles, enter and search premises, cordon off areas and request proof of identity."
The reforms come after a number of terrorismrelated cases in the state in the past year, including a man who was arrested in November for planning a gun attack around state capital Melbourne's crowded Federation Square area during New Year's Eve celebrations.
In December, the authorities also installed dozens of loudspeakers across the city as part of a major security upgrade to warn people of terror attacks.
Victoria's AttorneyGeneral Martin Pakula said the latest reforms are "the most significant shake up of our counterterrorism laws since they were introduced. Our reforms will strengthen bail and parole laws to help keep the community safe."
"These new laws will give police the powers they need to detain terror suspects, tackle the threat of terrorism and protect the community from those who pose a significant risk to the safety of Victorians," the state's Minister for Police Lisa Neville said.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK
