Hayden, 17, is part of the Youth Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee, which is investigating the effectiveness of mandatory sentencing in NSW as a result of the one-punch laws that specify a maximum of 25 years for the offender. 

The committee – which comprises young people acting as representatives for their electorates – has written a report that investigates whether the mandatory sentencing in NSW is a punishment that is most appropriate.

“We observed that mandatory sentencing is not an effective deterrence for offenders and it is a violation of international human rights law,” Hayden said.

“The application of mandatory sentencing is too harsh and it instigates a reduction in transparency in the court process as the power shifts to the police.”

The report written by Criminal Justice Committee was passed and is one of 20 pieces of legislation that went before this year’s Youth Parliament.

These pieces of legislation have been developed following six months of hard work and consultation by youth parliamentarians from across NSW.

The NSW Government and Opposition each received a copy of the legislation tabled before the parliament at the conclusion of the 2014 Youth Parliament.

Over the past 13 years, more than half a dozen pieces of Youth Legislation passed by the young people of NSW have been passed into NSW law.