ACT raises criminal age

THE ACT is set to go it alone and become the first jurisdiction to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, with a complete overhaul of the youth justice system endorsed by an independent review.

Across Australia, children as young as 10 years old can be prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to juvenile detention. Earlier this year, 31 UN member states, including Canada, France and Norway, called on Australia to raise the age in line with the 2019 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommendation that 14 years should be the minimum age worldwide.

A Council of Attorneys-General cross-jurisdictional working group was set up in 2018 to look into the issue, but last year postponed a decision on a national approach to raising the age. With a report now not due until next year, the ACT is the first jurisdiction to break ranks and move to raise the age.

A review commissioned by the ACT government released on Monday has detailed the work and reforms needed to assist in raising the age, with the new legislation set to be introduced in 2022. ACT AttorneyGeneral Shane Rattenbury said children involved in criminal behaviour “should be met with therapeutic support, not thrown into jail”.