LCA and AMA call on Australian governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14

17/12/2019

Australia’s peak legal and medical bodies have today issues a media release calling on all Australian governments to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14.

In a joint statement, the Law Council of Australia (LCA) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) are demanding action on the “national tragedy” of jailing children as young as 10.

The LCA and AMA believe the arrest, detention, or imprisonment of a child should be used only as a measure of last resort, and should only occur for the shortest appropriate period of time.

For a full copy of the media release click here.