National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services

Criminal Law (Raising the Age of Responsibility) Amendment Bill 2021

This bill sought to raise Queensland's minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years old, consistent with United Nations standards and medical evidence that children under 14 lack the brain development to fully understand the consequences of their actions. It was a private member's bill introduced by Michael Berkman MP (Greens) that failed at its second reading vote and did not become law.