7/25/2019 R_v_Wei_Tang

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From the Sydney Law Review:

Overview

In August 2008, the High Court o Austra!ia u"he!d the #onvi#tions o$e!%ourne %rothe! owner, &ei 'ang, or s!avery( In doing so, the High Court

e)e#ted the *rst ever #rimina! #onvi#tions o s!avery o)en#es under s

2+0(-./-a/ o the Crimina! Code A#t .1 -Cth/ -Code3/(

the Crimina! Code Amendment -S!avery and Se4ua! Servitude/ A#t .

-Cth/, "ursuant to the re#ommendations o the Austra!ian Law Reorm

Commission in .0, s!avery was e4"!i#it!y re#ognised as an o)en#e under

Austra!ian !aw

'he Case:

In 5une 2006, &ei 'ang, the %rothe! owner, was #onvi#ted in the 7i#torian

County Court o *ve #ounts o intentiona!!y "ossessing and e4er#ising a"ower o ownershi" over a s!ave( She was senten#ed to ten years3

im"risonment(

'he #harges re!ated to *ve 'hai women re#ruited to wor in the %rothe!, in

a##ordan#e with a re#ruitment agreement whi#h s"e#i*ed that ea#h

woman wou!d have to wor o) a de%t o A9 ;