Australian Senate inquiry calls for unified standards — ABC News Australia
A federal Senate inquiry in Australia has recommended that the government introduce national minimum standards for the treatment of young people who come into contact with the justice system. As ABC News Australia reports, the report’s authors also called for a nationwide public information campaign on alternatives to imprisoning children.
Different rules across states and territories
The inquiry, involving representatives of the Liberal Party, the Labor Party and the Greens, concluded that juvenile justice laws and practices in Australia’s states and territories are fragmented. As a result, young people receive significantly different levels of support, protection and treatment depending on the jurisdiction.
The committee proposed creating a national task force involving juvenile justice authorities, police and other agencies to coordinate reforms. It also recommended a separate inquiry into the factors that lead to the imprisonment of children.
The report stated that 56% of children under supervision by the country’s juvenile justice system are Indigenous Australians, although they make up slightly less than 4% of the population. The authors linked the criminalisation of Indigenous children to a lack of safe housing, adequate food, inclusive education, healthcare support, and ties with family and community. The report identified poverty, housing instability, exclusion from education, racial discrimination and systemic neglect among the root causes of youth crime.
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Campaign against the false perception of rising crime
The committee said that some media coverage creates an incomplete and inaccurate picture suggesting that Australia is experiencing a wave of youth crime. According to the inquiry’s findings, youth crime has been declining in all jurisdictions since 2008–2009. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that in 2024–2025, the number of offenders aged 10 to 17 against whom police took action fell by 5% compared with 2023–2024.
The report recommends funding a public campaign on the benefits of alternatives to imprisoning children for community safety and wellbeing. At the same time, independent Senator Lidia Thorpe warned that public messaging should be developed carefully and with the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous communities.
The final report did not support raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 nationwide, as recommended by the UN. The proposal was supported by three senators: Liberal Andrew McLachlan, Greens representative David Shoebridge and Lidia Thorpe.
