SNAICC in the News – Experts oppose grossly unjust ‘Making Queensland Safer’ laws
The week of 2 December 2024 covers SNAICC – National Voice for our Children joining a growing opposition to Queensland’s proposed youth justice laws, arguing they are grossly unjust, will fail to enhance community safety and will disproportionately harm Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The proposed legislation, under Making Queensland Safer introduced by the new Crisafulli government, removes the principle that detention should be a last resort—a basic tenet of international human rights law and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Under the new laws, children as young as ten can be sentenced to life imprisonment for certain offences, including manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and burglary, with a mandatory 20-year minimum for murder convictions.
SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle criticised the laws for exacerbating the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland’s youth justice system, noting that data shows that the younger a child is incarcerated, the more likely they are to reoffend. She said that early intervention, diversion programs and rehabilitation are key to breaking the cycle of reoffending—rather than punitive measures. Catherine also pointed towards the government’s failure to implement adequate support systems alongside the new laws, rather, they focus on locking up children rather than addressing the root causes of youth crime.
As reported by NIT last week, Maggie Munn, First Nations Justice Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the laws are ‘beyond shameful’. Munn said that children belong in school, not prisons, warning that the laws would disproportionately impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, separating them from their families and communities. She calls for policies focused on diversion, rehabilitation and prevention rather than incarceration. Queensland’s Human Rights Commissioner, Scott McDougall, also condemned the laws, describing them as a clear breach of human rights.
Aboriginal leaders, such as Garth Morgan from the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak and Blake Cansdale from Change the Record, also voiced strong opposition. Morgan described the focus on punitive measures as a ‘race to the bottom’ and called for more investment in addressing poverty and the underlying causes of crime. Cansdale called the legislation a ‘tragic misstep’, stressing that community-led prevention and early intervention programs—not punitive measures—are the key to reducing reoffending and building stronger communities.
The legislation, which is set to pass with the Liberal National Party holding a majority in Queensland’s Parliament, is widely seen as a step backwards for children’s rights and a rejection of evidence-based solutions in favour of tough-on-crime rhetoric.
SNAICC has made a submission urging the Queensland Government to amend the Bill to protect children’s rights and focus on addressing the underlying drivers of youth offending.
For more complete coverage, find the linked media release and news stories below.
Read the full Media ReleaseArticle: ‘Grossly unjust’: Queensland youth justice laws won’t improve community safety, SNAICC says
Excerpt:
Read the full articleSNAICC — National Voice for our Children chief executive, Catherine Liddle, says the bill in its current form won’t make communities in Queensland safer.
She also argued evidence showed “criminalising” and incarcerating children failed to address youth crime rates.
“These laws will do the opposite to what they claim, risking an increase in crime by exposing children to the juvenile justice system at a younger age,” Ms Liddle said.
She said whilst everyone wanted to live in safety, this bill “fails to meet that standard”.
Article: Call for ‘Making Queensland Safe’ laws to be amended
Excerpt:
Read the full articleSNAICC, National Voice for our Children, chief executive Catherine Liddle believes the Bill in its current form does not address youth crime rates or result in safer communities.
“Evidence indicates that the younger you lock a child up, the more likely they are to reoffend,” Ms Liddle sad.
“These laws will do the opposite to what they claim, risking an increase in crime by exposing children to the juvenile justice system at a younger age.”