Children to Face Adult Courts Under Justice Reforms
The Victorian government has approved sweeping youth-justice reforms that could see children as young as 14 tried in adult courts and jailed for life for violent crimes.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the shift aims to ensure “adult time for violent crime,” with harsher jail terms and a greater focus on community safety.
Under the proposal, young people accused of aggravated home invasion, gross-violence injuries, carjacking, repeat aggravated burglary, and armed robbery would be handled in adult courts. Maximum penalties for aggravated home invasion and carjacking would rise from 25 years to life imprisonment.
The changes would also:
- Require stronger consideration of the affected impact
- Remove the provision that jail must be a last resort for serious child offenders
-
Prioritize punishment over rehabilitation in serious cases
Currently, only one-third of teens convicted of aggravated home invasion or carjacking receive custodial sentences in the Children’s Court, compared with near-universal imprisonment in adult courts.
The reforms come as Victoria records a 15% surge in crime, including 25,000+ incidents involving children aged 10–17. Theft-related offences are the fastest-growing.
While the government argues the laws are needed to protect the community, youth-justice advocates warn the approach risks turning vulnerable children into lifelong offenders by failing to address root causes.
The legislation is expected to be introduced before the year’s end and would amend multiple justice statutes, including the Crimes Act and Youth Justice Act.
Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), children must not be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and imprisonment should only be used as a last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.
These reforms raise serious questions about whether Victoria’s shifts toward adult punishment for children align with this fundamental right.
