📜 Capturing Child Sex Offenders for Unlawful Consorting Bill 2026

Legislative Council Second ReadingLCBill 6012 March 2026Private Member

This Bill amends the Criminal Law (Unlawful Consorting and Prohibited Insignia) Act 2021 to include child sex offences in unlawful consorting provisions. It expands the definition of unlawful consorting to include associating with individuals who have committed child sex offences, even if those offences occurred outside of Western Australia.

Impact

This bill affects individuals with prior convictions for indictable offences or child sex offences, potentially restricting their freedom of association. It matters because it aims to prevent further child sexual abuse by limiting opportunities for offenders to re-offend through association with others.

Key Changes

["Amends section 9(1)(c) to include 'child sex offence' in unlawful consorting provisions.", "Amends section 9(2) to include child sex offences committed outside of Western Australia.", "Amends section 17(3)(b) to include 'child sex offence' in unlawful consorting provisions.", "Deletes section 18(2)(a)(viii).", "Deletes section 43(2)(a)(viii)."]