Making Queensland Safer (Adult Crime, Adult Time) Amendment Bill 2025
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill expands Queensland's 'Adult Crime, Adult Time' policy by adding 20 serious offences to the list of crimes for which young offenders can be sentenced as adults. It is part of the Government's Making Queensland Safer Plan and follows advice from an Expert Legal Panel. The bill also improves victim notification arrangements.
Who it affects
Young offenders convicted of serious crimes face significantly harsher penalties, including adult maximum sentences and mandatory minimum non-parole periods. Victims of youth crime gain more control over how they receive information about offenders in custody.
Key changes
- Adds 20 serious offences to the Adult Crime, Adult Time scheme, including rape, torture, kidnapping, arson, vehicle theft, and drug trafficking
- Young offenders can receive life detention with a 15-year mandatory minimum non-parole period for the most serious offences
- Restorative justice orders are no longer available as a sentencing option for these offences
- Childrens Court magistrates can impose up to three years detention for these offences, increased from one year
- Victims on the eligible persons register can nominate someone else to receive custody information on their behalf
- The Government acknowledges these amendments are not compatible with the Human Rights Act 2019 and relies on an existing override declaration
Bill Journey
▸Committee1 Apr 2025 – 20 May 2025View Hansard
Referred to Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee
The Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee examined the bill over approximately six weeks, receiving 62 submissions and holding public hearings in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Redlands. The committee recommended the bill be passed, finding that the increased penalties for 20 additional serious offences were relevant and proportionate to enhance community safety. The committee acknowledged the bill is not compatible with human rights under the Human Rights Act 2019 but considered this incompatibility justified, relying on the override declaration tabled with the parent Making Queensland Safer Act 2024. Two ALP members filed a statement of reservation and the Greens member filed a dissenting report, both raising significant concerns about the bill's evidence base and impact.
Key findings (5)
- The committee found the bill's increased penalties for 20 additional serious offences are relevant and proportionate to achieve the policy intent of enhancing community safety and holding young offenders accountable.
- The committee acknowledged the bill is incompatible with human rights under the Human Rights Act 2019, including children's rights to protection, liberty, and protection from cruel treatment, but considered this justified in the circumstances.
- Multiple stakeholders raised concerns about the disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, who are already overrepresented in Queensland's youth detention system.
- Departmental data showed many of the proposed new offences had very low or zero proven finalisations for youth offenders over the past five years, raising questions about the practical impact of the expanded regime.
- Stakeholders and committee members raised concerns that the Expert Legal Panel's advice, which formed the sole basis for selecting the 20 new offences, was not publicly released or made available to the committee.
Recommendations (1)
- The committee recommends that the Bill be passed.