There can be little doubt that so-called "contact crimes" are viewed by the public and the justice system as serious offences. Each carries varying degrees of severity, with prescribed minimum sentences and fines. As was made clear, however, during last year's much-publicised Oscar Pistorius murder trial, interpretttion of law varies depending on who one quotes, and regardless of which the side of the fence you're on, proving that guilt beyond a reasonable doubt falls on the state. The best prosecutors in the country are only as effective as the evidence collected on the scene. Criminal environmental law is fairly new in our legislative environment, 17 years to be exact, and is understandably treated as less serious by defence attorneys and, to some extent, the public at large.
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