Articles
Category: Youth Justice and Juvenile Crime
Understanding criminal responsibility of children in Queensland
In Queensland, the principles governing criminal responsibility for children are carefully structured to address their developmental stages. Under the Criminal Code, the legal system recognises that children are not always capable of understanding the consequences of their actions in the same way adults are.
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Police interviews involving children
When police wish to interview a child in relation to a suspected offence, special rules apply. Parents and those with the care of a child who the police want to question should seek urgent legal advice from the outset, before any interview takes place.
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Sentencing children in Queensland
In Queensland, the criminal justice system treats children differently to adults. The purpose of dealing with children differently is to acknowledge that children have different maturity levels to an adult, and may not have the same life experience, mental capacity and legal understanding to make adult-like decisions.
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Diversionary options for young offenders in Queensland
When it is appropriate to do so, a child who has criminally offended should be diverted away from the criminal justice system, unless the nature of the offence and the child’s criminal history indicate that a proceeding for the offence should be started.
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