• In December 2024, Queensland Parliament passed legislative amendments which will allow juveniles to be sentenced as adults for multiple serious crimes including murder, manslaughter and burglary[1]. It is hoped that by passing these amendments it will reduce youth crime by implementing an ‘adult crime, adult time’ strategy[2].

  These amendments seek to target ages 10 to 17 and enable the Court to consider a youth offender’s full criminal history at sentencing[3]. There is heavy consideration of whether these amendments will reduce or increase youth crime. However, the Liberal National Party is confident that these changes will reduce youth crime and that once the amendments have been implemented that there should be an evidence decrease in youth crime[4]. To support this legislation Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019 will need to be overridden to allow all of these changes[5].

  The Liberal National Party has expressed a willingness to strengthen the laws further if required[6]; however, these changes are the first step in discouraging youth offenders.

  The serious offences include[7]:

•  Murder
•  Manslaughter
•  Robbery
•  Burglary
•  Unlawful striking causing death
•  Acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm and other malicious acts
•  Grievous bodily harm
•  Wounding
•  Dangerous operation of a vehicle
•  Serious assault
•  Unlawful use or possession of motor vehicles, aircraft or vessels
•  Entering or being in premises and committing indictable offences
•  Unlawful entry of vehicle for committing indictable offence

[1] Rachel Stewart and Sarah Richards, ‘Tough youth  justice law changes pass Queensland parliament, which will see juveniles sentenced as adults’, ABC NEWS (Web Page, 12 December 2024) <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-12/youth-justice-laws-pass-queensland-parliament/104716652>.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.