More than 5800 charges have been brought before the Childrens Court under the Making Queensland Safer laws since they were introduced late last year, according to the Department of Justice 2024-25 annual report.
The department’s report notes more than 30 per cent of the cases contained at least one of the ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ prescribed offences.
The Making Queensland Safer Act 2024, passed on 12 December 2024, reformed youth justice laws in the state – including the removal of detention as a last resort from the Youth Justice Act 1992.
The report states these changes “strengthen our youth justice laws by restoring consequences for actions and placing victims at the heart of the youth justice system”.
It says the Act requires courts to have “primary regard to the impact of the offending on a victim when sentencing a youth offender”.
Queensland Law Society Children’s Law Committee member Carolyn Juratowitch said the percentage of ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ cases would likely exceed 60 per cent in the next year, based on the current numbers and that “these changes have only been operational for up to six and a half months”.
Carolyn said it was “important to note that the ‘Adult Crime’ category covers a large range of criminal behaviours”.
“The maximum penalties now range from two years detention, for threatening violence (s75 Criminal Code) for example, to mandatory life imprisonment for murder,” she said.
“In practice, the ‘adult crime’ category does include some low-level offences.”
She explained this category initially included 13 offences, but 20 additional offences were added as of 23 May 2025.
Carolyn gave two examples of low-level offences, including one child who “entered an unlocked car and stole a few trinkets” and another child “who went into a shop and stole ice creams”.
“Both were charged with entering premises and commit indictable offence,” she said.
“It is important to recognise that not all ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ offences are serious crimes.”
Youth Justice and Victim Support Minister Laura Gerber said in a statement it was still “early days”, but crime and victim numbers were down.
“We are tackling youth crime with ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ to restore consequences for action, as well as early intervention to divert youth before they become serious repeat offenders,” she said.
As a part of the legislative changes, the department has also opened the Childrens Court for victim representatives and relatives of a victim to be present during proceedings.
The report states there had been additional funding provided for security across 12 locations in response to the “expanded access for victims, their families and the media to Childrens Court proceedings”.
The department also said it has “increased legal services to support additional judicial capacity and address sustained increases in volume and complexity of Childrens Court matters”.
To support the implementation of the new laws, the department’s report details that there was an additional magistrate appointed in Brisbane, a District Court Judge appointed in Townsville, with judicial support staff, and there has been funding allocated for a second magistrate in Mount Isa.
The department said the Office of the Public Guardian will “deliver mandatory visiting services and respond to increased volumes of children in watchhouses and youth detention centres”.
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