Community Protection and Public Child Sex Offender Register (Daniel’s Law) Bill 2025
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill creates Daniel's Law, a three-tiered public child sex offender register for Queensland. It allows police to publish details of missing offenders who have breached their conditions, lets residents view photos of high-risk offenders in their local area, and enables parents to check whether someone with unsupervised access to their child is a registered sex offender.
Who it affects
Parents and guardians gain new tools to protect their children by accessing information about registered sex offenders. Registered offenders face having their details made public if they breach conditions or are assessed as posing a serious risk to children.
Key changes
- Creates a public website showing photos and details of reportable offenders who have breached their obligations and cannot be located by police
- Allows Queensland residents to apply to view photos of high-risk child sex offenders living in their local area
- Enables parents and guardians to apply to find out if a specific person with unsupervised contact with their child is a registered offender
- Introduces penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment for intimidating or harassing identified offenders, and up to 3 years for sharing register information
- Applies retrospectively to all existing reportable offenders, not just those convicted after commencement
- Requires an independent review of the register after five years, with results tabled in Parliament
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Committee27 Aug 2025View Hansard
Referred to Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee
The Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee examined the bill over two months, receiving 38 written submissions and holding a public hearing and briefing with the Queensland Police Service. The committee also undertook a study visit to Perth to learn from Western Australia's operational public child sex offender register. The committee recommended the bill be passed, finding it strikes the right balance between child protection and offender rights, though it acknowledged the bill limits certain human rights and relies on a human rights override declaration under the Human Rights Act 2019.
Key findings (5)
- The bill establishes a three-tiered public child sex offender register modelled on Western Australia's scheme, which has operated since 2012 without significant issues around vigilantism or victim identification.
- Stakeholder views were divided, with child safety advocates such as Bruce and Denise Morcombe and the Queensland Family and Child Commission supporting the bill, while the Bar Association of Queensland, Queensland Council of Civil Liberties, and others raised concerns about evidence of effectiveness, risk of victim identification, and removal of judicial review.
- The committee acknowledged the bill limits multiple human rights including privacy, liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of movement, but accepted the Government's human rights override declaration citing exceptional circumstances relating to child safety.
- Several submitters, including Bravehearts and the Queensland Sexual Assault Network, warned the register may create a false sense of security since most child sex offenders are known to the victim and their family rather than being strangers in the community.
- The bill removes judicial review of the Police Commissioner's decisions regarding disclosure of offender information, which was opposed by several legal stakeholders including Legal Aid Queensland and the Queensland Law Society, but the committee accepted this was necessary for the register's effective operation.
Recommendations (1)
- The committee recommends that the Bill be passed.
Committee report tabled
▸Second Reading28 Oct 2025View Hansard
▸25 members spoke24 support1 mixed
Spoke in strong support of the bill, criticising Labor members for not speaking on it and detailing the three-tier register system that empowers parents and communities.
“The Community Protection and Public Child Sex Offender Register (Daniel's Law) Bill 2025 delivers on the Crisafulli government's election commitment to further strengthen sex offender laws with the establishment of a new three-tier public register to protect Queensland children and to put the rights of parents and families ahead of sexual predators.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill and commended the Morcombes but raised concerns about the bill's effectiveness, including the lack of opt-in notifications for victims, that only one in four reportable offenders would be listed on tier 2, the adequacy of $10 million for the IT platform, the absence of safeguards against AI-generated fake content, and called for the statutory review to occur sooner than five years.
“We will ensure this public sex offender register is established by passing this bill, but we call on the government to ensure they properly fund it, properly resource it and properly review it within more effective timeframes to ensure it resolves any deficiencies, where required, sooner rather than later.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in strong support, sharing her deeply personal experience of her six-year-old daughter being sexually assaulted in 2016, and argued the bill provides families with tools to remain vigilant.
“The rights of perpetrators mean nothing when compared to the safety of children.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Confirmed that the Queensland Labor opposition supports the bill. While supportive, he called on the government to ensure the QPS has ongoing resources, noted that fewer than 25 per cent of reportable offenders would be captured under tier 2, and urged an earlier statutory review.
“The Queensland Labor opposition will be supporting this bill. The safety of our children must always come first and this parliament must contribute to keeping kids safe.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
As member for the electorate containing Daniel House in Palmwoods, strongly supported the bill. As a former police officer, had promised the Morcombes he would fight for this register.
“I made a promise to Bruce and Denise. I told them, were I to be elected, I would fight alongside the LNP to deliver a public child sex offender register for Queensland.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in support as the Minister for Education and the Arts, commending the Morcombes and criticising opposition members for raising issues rather than giving unequivocal support.
“This is about transparency and accountability as well as ensuring that caregivers and parents have access to information to keep their children safe from harm.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill establishing the public register to protect Queensland children.
“Daniel's legacy is one that will continue to save lives for generations.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill, sharing personal experiences including serving as jury foreman in a paedophilia case and assisting constituents affected by Australia's most prolific paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith. Called for bipartisanship rather than political branding on the issue.
“I will never stand by and support someone who steals the innocence of a child and commits these heinous crimes against the youth in our society.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Strongly supported the bill as part of the government's commitment to protecting Queensland children.
“This bill puts the rights of parents and families ahead of sexual predators.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill, detailing how Queensland's register is more comprehensive than those in Western Australia and South Australia, covering a broader range of offences and empowering more caregivers with free access.
“At its heart, Daniel's Law is about empowering families. By making information about child sex offenders more accessible, the public register enables parents, guardians and carers to make informed decisions about whom their children interact with.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill but urged caution against false confidence, noting only 25 per cent of convicted offenders would appear on tier 2, and called for proper resourcing and funding for the register's implementation.
“Yes, check the register but trust your doubts—trust your instincts—and, most importantly, have conversations with your children to say, 'We love you and we believe in you and, if something happens, we will still love you and believe in you and you will be with us.'”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill while acknowledging the work of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in advocating for child protection.
“We all share the goal of keeping Queensland children safe.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill, praising the police minister and the Morcombes, and expressing the view that child sex offenders never change their mindset.
“This system will assist them in finding out the threats within their communities. I thank the minister particularly for making it a priority as part of our total commitment to law and order and the protection of communities throughout Queensland.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Commended the government for the initiative while acknowledging limitations, noting that a large proportion of offenders are not captured in tier 2 and the system can give a false sense of security.
“The baseline for this place, and something we can all agree on, is community safety and keeping our children safe. That is one of the primary concerns we should have.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in strong support as Deputy Premier, noting that as former attorney-general he had started discussions on similar laws. Commended Bruce and Denise Morcombe and emphasised that reform will always be necessary.
“A child sex offender has a special place in hell as far as I am concerned.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill, describing the register as another tool in the arsenal to protect children, and criticised members who reflected on the willingness of others to speak given the traumatic subject matter.
“This bill is another tool in the Queensland parliament's arsenal to protect young people, and that is so important to me.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill, speaking as a father of young children and expressing deep gratitude to the Morcombes for channelling their grief into change.
“Every single child in this state should be allowed to grow up in safety.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill but raised genuine concerns about how reasonable people might react to information about offenders near their children and whether the framework could inadvertently criminalise foreseeable parental reactions. Sought assurances on resourcing.
“This legislation quite clearly says you cannot tell anyone about it. Does that mean you cannot tell your mother, who might be watching the grandkids, to be careful of the next-door neighbour?”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill as Health Minister, arguing it is both an important piece of legislation and a powerful symbol of the importance placed on child safety. Referenced Western Australian experience showing no outbreak of vigilantism.
“We should never let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and in terms of this bill that is exactly right.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill, sharing his experience as former OIC at Townsville police station where the Morcombes would visit. Emphasised the bill as the first public register of its kind in Queensland.
“We know that the passing of this law will not bring Daniel back, but if it saves one life then it will be worth it.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill, noting Queensland joins Western Australia and South Australia in implementing such a register and that the legislation crosses socio-economic, geographic and cultural boundaries.
“Upon consideration of this contention and the importance of the legacy the Morcombes seek to leave for all of our children, I could not in any circumstance imagine any values that would motivate any of us to come to this House and not support Daniel's Law.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Supported the bill as Treasurer, confirming $10 million has been committed in the budget for implementation. Described the bill as a historic moment for Queensland.
“As Treasurer I am pleased to advise the House that we are making the investments needed to ensure this system gets up and running and works from day one.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in strong support, stating people deserve to know if a convicted child sex offender lives next door.
“People deserve to know if the person living next door has been convicted of such heinous crimes.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in strong support as Premier, emphasising the bill delivers on an election commitment and provides parents one more tool to keep children safe. Referenced the Western Australian experience where predictions of misuse never materialised.
“Today, Queenslanders, this is an historic day because Daniel's Law will be law.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard
Spoke in reply as Minister for Police, addressing concerns raised during the debate including resourcing (three staff operate the WA system), vigilantism risk (not realised in WA), and confirming $10 million funding. Criticised Labor for not establishing the register during their decade in office.
“For 10 years the Morcombes have been asking for this and in this debate we heard some of the excuses that those opposite gave not to do it.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard