Victim’s family hails law reform triggered by tragedy
The family of a man fatally stabbed at work says his “lasting legacy” of tougher bail laws and weapons searches has made society safer.
Declan Laverty, 20, was murdered by a man out on bail in a Darwin bottle shop in 2023, triggering tougher laws for the Northern Territory.
Declan’s Law came into effect a year ago, making electronic monitoring devices mandatory for repeat offenders on bail and expanding the scope of offenses that trigger the presumption of bail.
The NT government says a significant drop in crime is now being felt across the region.
Declan’s mother, Samara Laverty, said while she continues to grieve the loss of her son, she takes solace in the fact that his legacy lives on.
“Declan’s life was brutally ripped from him and us,” Ms Laverty said in a statement on Monday.
“His legacy is to make the Northern Territory a safer place. We’re starting to see that happen.”
Ms Laverty said she and her daughter Bridget were forever grateful that her son’s life had a lasting legacy that could “protect others in the future”.
NT Premier and Police Minister Lia Finocchiaro said Declan’s Law had resulted in more than 5,800 people being refused bail by the police or courts, a 22 per cent increase on the previous year.
He said that approximately 20,000 people were subjected to arms search operations within the scope of the law, as a result of which approximately 300 weapons were seized and 36 people were arrested.
“From day one we were determined that Declan’s death would not be in vain,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
Declan’s Law simplified approvals for the use of handheld knife scanners, expanded wandering powers in public places, and extended wandering powers from 12 hours to 72 hours.
Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said 4,775 people were refused bail in the year before the reforms.
“In the 12 months since the Declan Act came into force, 5,831 people have been refused bail.”
Ms Boothby said the government had achieved an 8.6 per cent drop in the number of crime victims between January and October 2025 compared to the same period the previous year.
He said this represented fewer of the more than 1,800 crime victims and more criminals were staying off the streets.
The NT government further tightened bail laws following the stabbing death of 71-year-old grocer Linford Feick in his Darwin store by a teenager out on bail on April 23 last year.
Under the tightened laws, the presumption of bail applies for serious violent crimes, including assault with intent to steal and sexual offences.
