The ACT has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to support raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, in a move hailed by justice campaigners as a “huge win” for the rights of children. The executive director of the Gugan Gulwan youth Aboriginal corporation, Kim Davison, said raising the age of criminal responsibility was “the first step to keeping our kids safe, healthy and out of the dangerous quicksand of the criminal legal system”. The chief executive of the NSW/ACT Aboriginal legal service, Karly Warner, said Aboriginal children were “strong, smart and resilient”. The longer they wait, the longer little kids are exposed to the harmful conditions of prison.”The United Nations committee on the Rights of the Child has recommended the age of criminal responsibility should be 14. Four children under the age of 12 have been in unsentenced detention over the same period.

Source: The Guardian August 20, 2020 03:01 UTC