Update 26/08/2025: Over the past year, the Northern Territory has moved backwards on human rights.
We are alarmed: the Country Liberal Party (CLP) has lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 10, reintroduced spit hoods on children, children are being locked up in overcrowded youth detention centres and adult watch houses, and Aboriginal children continue to be disproportionately detained.
Amnesty International warns that this ‘tough on youth crime’ approach violates human rights law and harms vulnerable children, while failing to make communities safer.
We are calling on the CLP to immediately raise the age of criminal responsibility, permanently ban the use of spit hoods, and ensure all youth justice policies adhere to human rights standards.
The last year has shown how far backwards the NT has gone — children cannot wait any longer.
Sign our petition now, and demand the government take immediate action to protect kids.