MEDIA RELEASE

Justice (Age of Criminal Responsibility) Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

The Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety has announced it will be undertaking an inquiry into the Justice (Age of Criminal Responsibility) Legislation Amendment Bill 2023.

The terms of reference are available on the Committee website.

The Bill proposes to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) in the ACT from 10 to 14 years, to ensure that children under the age of 14 years, except for those aged 12 and 13 years who commit certain exceptionally serious and intentionally violent offences, cannot be held criminally responsible.

The Bill will raise the MACR in stages, introducing a schedule of offences which will maintain a minimum age of 12 years, once the MACR is further raised to 14 years. It will also establish a range of measures and sentencing options for children and young people, including Intensive Therapy Orders and Therapeutic Correction Orders, and make provision for victim support for people harmed by the actions of a child under the MACR.

Information on how to make a submission is available on the Assembly website.

Submissions close 5 June 2023, and a public hearing is to be held on 15 June 2023.

19 May 2023

STATEMENT ENDS.

Committee Chair, Mr Peter Cain MLA on (02) 6205 1927

Committee Secretary on (02) 6207 0524 or at LACommitteeJCS@parliament.act.gov.au