Thursday Headlines: 

• Appeal date set for Erin Patterson
• Five people found alive after week trapped in Laos cave
• 240,000 people to be cut from NDIS over four years
• Labor’s controversial tax changes to be introduced to parliament today
• Blues win Origin 1 in stunning comeback 

Deep Dive: Australia’s courts have long allowed judges to consider “good character” references during sentencing, even in child sexual abuse cases. 

For many survivors, hearing offenders described in court as “good people” or “champions of young people” can be deeply retraumatising and after years of campaigning, one Australian state has now changed its laws. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with survivor advocate and co founder of Your Reference Ain’t Relevant, Harrison James, about the new laws and why advocates believe this should become a national standard.

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