NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro is at it again—attacking the courts to score political points instead of actually leading.
This time, she’s blasting a judge for granting bail to a 16-year-old involved in a home invasion where a baby was injured. She’s calling it an “epic fail,” stirring up outrage while ignoring the legal reasons behind the decision.
What she won’t tell you? The Chief Justice had to publicly explain why bail was granted—something that should never have been necessary. Politicians should not be interfering with the courts. It’s reckless, undermines trust in the justice system, and pressures judges to make politically motivated decisions rather than fair ones.
But this isn’t new for Finocchiaro. She has a track record of prioritising fear-mongering over real solutions. Instead of fixing the root causes of crime, she plays the tough-on-crime card—because it’s easier to stoke anger than to address systemic issues.
The Facts Finocchiaro Won’t Tell You
🔹 Bail decisions are based on law, not emotions. Judges follow strict legal guidelines, weighing risk and rehabilitation.
🔹 The 16-year-old was granted bail to attend his grandfather’s funeral—a significant cultural event in his community.
🔹 Conditions were placed on his release. He later breached them and was re-arrested within 24 hours, showing the system responded as intended.
But instead of explaining this, Finocchiaro took the cheap political route—attacking the courts, riling up public anger, and making it seem like judges are just letting criminals walk free.
This isn’t about whether people agree with the decision—it’s about the fact that politicians have no business interfering in legal rulings.
Why Undermining the Courts is Dangerous
The justice system is independent for a reason. Courts make decisions based on law, precedent, and risk assessments—not political agendas.
When a politician like Finocchiaro publicly attacks a judge, she’s doing three things:
🚨 Eroding trust in the courts – Making people believe the system is broken when it’s actually following legal principles.
🚨 Pressuring judges to make political rulings – Which leads to reactive, knee-jerk decisions instead of fair ones.
🚨 Distracting from the real issue – Youth crime doesn’t happen in a vacuum. But instead of fixing what’s broken, she plays the outrage game.
If the public loses trust in the courts, we end up with a system driven by politics instead of justice. That’s not just bad policy—it’s dangerous.
What Real Leadership Looks Like
If Finocchiaro actually cared about public safety, she’d be focusing on:
✅ Fixing the causes of youth crime – Addressing poverty, lack of support, and broken social systems.
✅ Strengthening rehabilitation programs – So kids don’t just cycle in and out of the system, getting worse each time.
✅ Supporting judicial independence – Instead of undermining it for political gain.
But that would take actual work. It’s easier to blame judges and act outraged than to create real change.
Weaponising Outrage Won’t Fix the System
We’re not here to defend bad behaviour. But justice should be about solutions, not just punishment.
Finocchiaro uses crime as a political tool rather than working to solve it. She undermines the courts instead of strengthening them. She fuels public anger instead of providing real leadership.
This isn’t how you fix crime. It’s how you make it worse.
Enough with the political stunts. It’s time for real solutions.
Join the Conversation
What do you think—should politicians be interfering with the courts? Or is the real problem elsewhere? Let us know in the comments.
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