Complicit

It is well documented that Laws of complicity continue to disproportionately affect defendants from marginalised communities across Australia, the UK and the USA. Complicit sheds light on the bigger picture, questioning what purpose these laws truly serve. These laws can result in harsh sentencing outcomes for individuals who were only peripherally involved in crimes. The situation is particularly perilous and all the more relevant for discussion right now as in Australia there has been an increase in mandatory minimum sentences and the High Court has refused to consider a reform.

Urgent action is needed to address the harms of Laws of Complicity. These doctrines cast an overly wide criminal justice net, often trapping individuals—disproportionately from marginalised and minority groups—who played little to no role in a crime. This leads to excessively harsh punishments for innocent bystanders and minor offenders. In Australia, Laws of Complicity impose the same mandatory life sentence on peripheral figures as on the actual perpetrator. Complicit aims to provide exposure and insight required for the development and successful implementation of new laws, policies and practices to end the use of Laws of Complicity in unjust and discriminatory ways. Ultimately this is expected to reduce prison admissions in Australia and to adjust penalties to sentences that more fairly hold persons convicted of crimes accountable.

Australian reform of Laws of Complicity has been subsidiary to the dominant ‘tough on crime’ policy direction, driven by fear of gang and knife crime. In recent years, improving community safety in Australia has focused on policy areas that reflect greater public support. Complicit will pose the question of why marginal youth are susceptible to ongoing injustice under this doctrine, and what we can do about it.

Through Dr Simone Deegan we have direct connections to advocacy groups that are aligned with the film’s message and by providing them with media releases they will amplify the conversation. Complicit will be promoted through social media to our target demographic and we will engage with other media such as; True Crime podcasts, local radio stations and print media/local newspapers across the three regions, specifically targeting areas where the cases we are following occurred. This multifaceted approach ensures that Complicit will not only engage viewers across borders but also spark important discussions around justice reform on a global scale.

We will have a call to action at the completion of the film which will direct audiences to a website dedicated to giving information on the various advocacy groups and resources mentioned in the documentary. There will be specialised information for each country on the website.