The Department of Justice’s Council of Attorneys-General Working Group is currently conducting a review into the age of criminal responsibility as legislated in each Australian state and territory and the Commonwealth. Currently, the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old, with a presumption of criminal incapacity for children aged 10 to 14 years. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has recommended Australia raise the age of criminal responsibility in line with other comparable international jurisdictions, such as the European Union and New Zealand, where the minimum age is 14. Public submissions are being accepted until Friday, 28th February on questions posed on the review page and related matters, including in what situations the age should be raised, operational issues involved, whether presumption of criminal incapacity should be retained, whether there should be a separate minimum age of detention, what programs, frameworks and support services might need to be involved. Find out more.
