December 1, 2015
The State Labor Government will repeal laws introduced by the former LNP Government which allowed media to report Children’s Court matters.
The changes will also reinstate the principle of detention as a last resort for young offenders.
On Tuesday, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath introduced a Bill to the State Parliament that will repeal previous amendments to the Youth Justice Act 1992 and Children’s Court Act 1992.
“The government is committed to tackling youth offending with practical and meaningful strategies – to turn the lives of young people around, stop repeat offending and help build stronger communities,” Mrs D’Ath said.
She said the amendments would reinstate the principle of detention as a last resort, remove the provisions that allow for the identification of young offenders, and for childhood offences to be admitted in adult sentencing proceedings.
“Punitive responses to childhood offending only increase the risk that these young people will reoffend in the future,” Mrs D’Ath said.
“In fact, the changes implemented by the previous government have increased the numbers of young people returning to detention.
“All the evidence shows that offering sustainable pathways to divert children and young people from a lifetime of offending is the only approach that actually works.”
Mrs D’Ath said the Bill would be followed by the introduction of further amendments in early 2016 which would end the automatic transfer of 17-year-olds with more than six months remaining in detention to an adult prison, and reinstate the youth justice conferencing program that was zed in 2012.
“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to reducing youth crime and holds the safety of the community as its highest priority,” Mrs D’Ath said.
“Policies such as the re-introduction of youth justice conferencing, for example, allows young offenders to face up to the harm they have caused and take positive steps towards rehabilitation and long-term development.”
