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Our vision is to work with Indigenous communities to directly challenge the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in prison, by raising the age of criminal responsibility. We want to put an end to children falling into the quicksand of Australia’s prison system.

Despite overwhelming evidence from health experts, social workers, Indigenous leaders, legal experts and human rights organisations, Australian Governments are choosing to lock up children as young as 10 years old. This disproportionately impacts Indigenous youth. 

When children this young are forced through a criminal legal process, their health, wellbeing and future are put at risk. Punitive approaches simply don’t work. 

Governments should be funding tested Indigenous-led solutions and community programs which have better outcomes for children and communities.

The ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to make a commitment to bring its laws in line with UN standards by working to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14. Now it's time for the rest of the country to follow this leadership.

Together we can make this happen. Will you add your name to call on all governments across Australia to raise the age of criminal age of responsibility to at least 14? 


 
For 60 years, Amnesty has been shining a light in the darkness to prevent abuses, ensure accountability and improve lives. As a 10 million strong movement of everyday people joining together to challenge injustice and defend human rights, our voices are powerful enough to create change. Together we are unstoppable. 

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  Our Petition

 

To my State Premier or Chief Minister and State/Territory Attorney-General,
Right now in our state children between 10 and 13 years olds are locked up in prison.
Medical experts say that children’s brains are still developing, especially the parts that regulate judgement, decision-making and impulse control. This means that kids cannot foresee the consequences of any action and cannot fully understand the criminal nature of their behaviour.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on countries to raise the age to at least 14 years old. China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Sierra Leone, Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Rwanda have taken this step and we must do the same for Australian kids.
I call you to immediately and urgently raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years old.
Yours sincerely,


State Premiers and Chief Ministers
Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of New South Wales; Annastacia Palaszczuk, Premier of Queensland; Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia; Will Hodgman, Premier of Tasmania; Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria; Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia; Michael Gunner, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory; Andrew Barr, Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
State/Territory Attorney-Generals
Mark Speakman (New South Wales); Yvette D’Ath (Queensland); Vickie Chapman (South Australia); Elise Archer (Tasmania); Jill Hennessy (Victoria); John Quigley (Western Australia); Selena Uibo (Northern Territory); Gordon Ramsay (Australian Capital Territory)
 

 

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