Open letter to The Hon. Lia Finocchiaro to reconsider the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility in NT

Open letter to The Hon. Lia Finocchiaro to reconsider the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility in NT

17 September, 2024

Incoming Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has announced the intention to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 10 years of age. In the interest of full transparency, Allies for Children share a letter sent to the incoming Chief Minister urging her to reconsider these extreme measures. We can do better than incarcerating children.

Allies for Children urges the NT Government to reconsider the proposal in light of overwhelming evidence that this approach is ineffective in diverting children away from the justice system, and has significant detrimental effects on children’s social development and mental health long-term.

The move would disproportionately impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are over-represented in the youth justice system, and fails to address the underlying causes of youth justice involvement – such as poverty, childhood trauma, and lack of access to services and support.

Evidence shows that early intervention programs, educational support, and mental health support services are far more effective in addressing behavioural issues and preventing future offending.

Allies for Children welcomes the opportunity to work in consultation with the NT Government and key stakeholders to review the evidence and explore solutions that protect children and communities.

We call on the governments of each state and territory to heed the advice of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years of age with no exceptions.