Spitting on doctors to trigger three-month prison sentence under new lawsÂ
The new NT Government wants tougher sentences for abusing healthcare workers as well as to lower the age of criminal responsibility.
Spitting on doctors, nurses, paramedics, police or other frontline workers will result in a minimum three-month prison term under harsher penalties being introduced in the NT.
The spitting laws are part of a suite of law-and-order reforms promised by the Country Liberal Party when it was elected eight weeks ago.
Physical assaults against anybody at work who is not a frontline worker will also attract a mandatory prison term if the offender has a violent crime history, while first-time offenders will be given a community correction order.
Minister for Logistics and Infrastructure Bill Yan said assaults on frontline workers were unacceptable.
