Cop-bashers get mandatory jail terms

[Salamander]

From: news.com.au

MINIMUM jail terms for bashing Western Australian police and other public officers have come into effect.

WA Attorney-General Christian Porter said the new laws received royal assent from the governor today.

Under the legislation, adults found guilty of grievous bodily harm against police officers, ambulance officers, transit guards, court security officers or prison officers will face a minimum jail term of 12 months and juveniles aged 16 or over a minimum three months.

[NotYouMe]

I'm just a little confused about one thing. In the US, calling someone a "cop basher" would usually imply that s/he frequently voices a low opinion of the police or personal dislike for cops in general.. The article refers to grevious bodily harm, so I'm hoping that in this article "cop bashing" refers to battery on an officer (which deserves to carry a penalty, unlike simply speaking ill of cops). Is that just a difference in usage or are they actually actually creating penalties for publicly disparaging officers?

[A Turtle Named Mack]

This title presents to USA residents an unfortunate sense of what is going on. "Bashing" has come to mean in political parlance to criticize strongly, usually unrelated to - or more likely as a deliberate ruse to avoid - one's actual stances on issues.

However, so long as there are requirements that the harm be caused with the appropriate standards of intent and the proof is 'beyond a reasonable doubt', then I don't see a problem with this. It is comparable to NY State's homicide classification (as I understand it) where first-degree murder necessarily involves killing a law enforcement officer (perahps other officials as well, but certainly cops). Those that try to keep the peace should get strong protection against those that would attack them, though they should not by any means be allowed to operate beyond the law.

[Salamander]

Originally Posted by NotYouMe

I'm just a little confused about one thing. In the US, calling someone a "cop basher" would usually imply that s/he frequently voices a low opinion of the police or personal dislike for cops in general.. The article refers to grevious bodily harm, so I'm hoping that in this article "cop bashing" refers to battery on an officer (which deserves to carry a penalty, unlike simply speaking ill of cops). Is that just a difference in usage or are they actually actually creating penalties for publicly disparaging officers?

A vernacular difference, although I thought the bit about "grevious bodily harm" would've provided the context. In other words, no, there are not minimum sentences for disparaging officers.