The criminal justice system presupposes people generally are free to decide whether or not to engage in criminal behaviour. However, the courts acknowledge not everyone has free will.
In three years, 173 people died from 17 ramming vehicle attacks worldwide. This week, Victoria police announced a policy supporting officers to shoot drivers of weaponised cars.
As recent events show, we might get better media reporting if journalists questioned authorities more closely on the relevance of ethnicity and religion in crime reporting.
Terrorism laws contain extra hurdles to secure a conviction, so prosecutors and police may prefer to charge offenders with murder or assault in some cases.
Australia needs to be very careful not to allow the bail system to become a political scapegoat at the hands of commentators exercising 20/20 hindsight.