Landmark pepper spray trial in crime-hit community
The Northern Territory is set to become only the second jurisdiction in the country to allow residents to carry pepper spray, giving people "more choice when it comes to personal safety".
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a 12-month trial was set to launch from September, allowing approved members of the public to carry a low-percentage Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray under strict legal conditions.
The move was part of the NT government's justice reforms that focus on reducing crime and restoring community safety and security, she said.
"We're strengthening the frontline with more police, stronger laws and better prevention, but we also believe individuals should have lawful tools to protect themselves if needed," Ms Finocchiaro said in a statement.
Ms Finocchiaro's government made law and order the cornerstone of its first budget with a record $1.5 billion investment in corrections, courts and police.
The NT government also lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 and introduced tougher bail laws.
Data shows the NT has an incarceration rate three times greater than anywhere else in Australia and has the highest reoffending rate, with six out of 10 prisoners returning to jail within two years of release.
Consultation to determine the trial's specifics will be led by NT Police, industry bodies, licensees, other key stakeholders and the broader community.
The initiative would ensure the NT joins Western Australia as the only jurisdictions in Australia allowing residents to carry pepper spray.
"This is about giving Territorians more choice when it comes to personal safety," the chief minister said.
"This is about equipping Territorians with more options, not less control."
Approved OC spray is set to be made available for purchase from licensed dealers across the NT from September 1.
The NT proposal comes as a class action trial in Victoria winds up involving climate protester Jordan Brown challenging the police's use of pepper spray against him during a mining protest.
His lawyers have told the Supreme Court that Victoria Police's use of the spray on him at a 2019 protest outside the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne was violent and excessive.
But lawyers for Victoria Police claim the use of force was lawful, as protesters were impeding officers from making an arrest.
Closing submissions before Judge Claire Harris are being heard on Wednesday and Thursday.
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