The Country Liberal Party’s (CLP) incoming law will make the NT Australia’s first jurisdiction to lower the age of criminal responsibility, after previously raising it. Currently the age is 12 but they want to lower it to 10
It comes after a years-long push by legal advocates for all jurisdictions to raise the age to 14.
What do you think? is this a backward step? Or a racist one?
it really depends on the consequences for children.
In England and Wales it has been 10 for years but in Scotland it changed to 12 in 2019. Youth cautions are not normally disclosed on DBS checks so there is some discretion until age 18. They will only be an issue if the child goes on to commit crimes as an adult. It may work differently in Australia, but I think many countries have some protection for juvenile records.
If my teacher friends are anything to go by, we have some very serious problems with child behaviour in the UK. It’s almost impossible for the authorities to establish a system that is effective but fair. It takes a great deal of resource to change the course of a child’s life.
How is it racist to change the age down by 2 years?
97% of children in NT juvenile detention centres are Aboriginal.
But what has that to do with the age of criminal responsibility? Justice wears a blindfold.
I’m asking the questions 
Edit:
Context: Aboriginal Australians make up approximately 24% of the NT’s population.
The territory’s youth detention rate is six times the national average. It has the highest number of children in juvenile detention per 100,000 ten-to-19-year-olds in Australia. Of these, approximately 60% are in the care of the NT’s Department of Children and Families.
Racism.Although I was surprised to discover they’ve only recently upped it to 12 here in Victoria with 14 promised in the future.
It is more fact than racism imo.
