Federal and state governments have been accused of suppressing large volumes of expert evidence that supports raising the age of criminal responsibility, and sitting on a crucial report because they “lack the political will to act”. It is said to recommend that the age of criminal responsibility be raised to 14 years old, with exceptions for serious crimes. All of them call for the minimum age to be raised from 10 to 14. More than 90% refer to Australia’s current minimum age of criminal responsibility – age 10 in all states and territories – as breaching international human rights laws and standards. In November 2018 the Cag established a working group on the minimum age of criminal responsibility and said it would report within 12 months.

Source: The Guardian May 18, 2021 17:26 UTC