On Monday, independent human rights experts urged lawmakers in Queensland, Australia, to vote against the Making Queensland Safer (Adult Crime, Adult Time) Amendment Bill 2025. This proposed legislation aims to expand the number of criminal offences for which minors can receive the same punishments as adults. Currently, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Queensland is ten, and the bill seeks to add 20 new offences, such as arson, torture, and attempted murder, to the existing list of 13 “adult crime, adult time” offences.
Concerns were raised by UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, and Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K. Barume, who argue that the bill contradicts basic child rights and exacerbates the problems within Australia’s youth justice systems. In their letter, they highlight that the proposed measures would likely worsen the already precarious situation of Indigenous children who are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.
According to a submission by the Queensland Family & Child Commission, First Nations children, who comprise approximately 8% of the 10-17 age group in Queensland, represent 55% of those in the statutory youth justice system. The disproportionate impact on Indigenous youth underscores the urgency for a reformed approach focusing more on education and rehabilitation rather than punitive measures.
Several organizations, including the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Queensland Human Rights Commission, and the Human Rights Law Centre and Change the Record, have also voiced their apprehensions, pointing out that the bill is counterproductive and incompatible with international law.
The call to action is clear: reforms must aim at securing the future well-being and development of young offenders rather than simply augmenting penalties, which risk reinforcing negative social outcomes.