Attorney-General for the State of Queensland v Travers

The Attorney-General for the State of Queensland sought orders under Division 3 of the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003 (Qld) against the respondent, Travers, who had been convicted of serious sexual offences against a 21-month-old child. The court had to determine whether the evidence was sufficient to find that Travers posed a serious danger to the community, justifying the imposition of an order under the Act. Three psychiatrists provided reports, with two assessing Travers' risk of reoffending as low, and the third as low to moderate, suggesting that a supervision order could reduce the risk to low. The court found that the evidence did not sufficiently prove that Travers was a serious danger to the community without such an order.

The primary issue before the court was whether the evidence met the high threshold required under s 13(3) of the Act, indicating that Travers posed a serious danger to the community. The psychiatric evidence was central to this determination, with two psychiatrists assessing the risk as low and one as low to moderate, with potential for reduction through a supervision order. The court had to weigh this evidence against the criteria set out in the Act and decide if it was sufficient to warrant the imposition of a supervision order. The court ultimately concluded that the evidence did not meet the required standard, leading to the dismissal of the application.