‘The ACT has looked at the evidence’

“What locking up kids does is it cruels their chances, it takes them away from positive influences.”

“They go to the university of crime, they get taught that they’re criminals.”

‘Programs need to run inside communities, not prisons’

Here’s where the rest of Australia stands when it comes to the age of criminal responsibility.

Victoria

Victoria raised its minimum age from 10 to 12 under the Youth Justice Bill passed in 2024 and has promised a formal review of a further rise to 14 in 2027.

Tasmania

The Tasmanian government will raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years and will increase the minimum age of detention to 16 years by developing alternatives to detention for children aged 14 and 15 years. Implementation is expected be completed by July 2029.

Northern Territory

NSW

Australia’s most-populous state has held the line at 10, despite medical and legal bodies urging change. A joint statement from Mental Health Carers NSW and BEING NSW this year renewed calls to match the ACT’s standard.

Queensland

Queensland’s Adult Crime, Adult Time laws, introduced at the end of 2024, kept the age at 10 and allow some serious offences by children to be dealt with in the adult system.

South Australia

Adelaide is consulting on whether to raise the age to 12 but has not drafted a bill.

Western Australia

The federal position