Youth Justice Laws Public Statement 

Children in contact with the law are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and as such have special protections under international law. Australia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which mandates that every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for their inherent dignity, and that detention should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. 

UNICEF Australia shares the concerns of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child over new laws that eliminate the longstanding legal principle of detention as a last resort and enable children as young as 10 to be sentenced to life in prison.  

We know that preventative and restorative justice approaches are more effective in reducing reoffending, helping children reintegrate into society and increasing both community and child safety. UNICEF Australia, along with other child rights and youth justice experts, has continued to encourage investment in prevention that helps to address the root causes of youth offending.  

Earlier this year, after extensive consultation and analysis, Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner recently released the Help Way Earlier report which offers recommendations for youth justice reform. UNICEF Australia continues to support the report’s recommendations and is committed to working with the Commissioner and governments to support the implementation of these reforms. 

Read our recent submission here.

2 December 2024