A date has been set to end the locking up of 10 and 11-year-old children in the Northern Territory. From next month, the change will take effect, but advocates say the reforms still don't go far enough.
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00:00 Eight months after legislation passed to increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10
00:07 to 12, a date has now been set.
00:10 From August 1st, locking up 10 and 11 year olds in the NT will stop.
00:15 The very first opportunity you get, you need to divert them away, otherwise you just take
00:19 young people and they become better criminals.
00:22 The government says currently there aren't any children in that age group in prison,
00:27 and across the year they only make up about 1% of kids in detention.
00:32 We're talking about a very small group of young people, possibly around 7 to 10 young
00:37 people each year.
00:39 The previously criminal response will turn therapeutic, with a new program established
00:44 that includes individualised plans and parenting programs.
00:48 Of course, a young person under the age of 12 doing the wrong thing will be dealt with
00:53 accordingly.
00:55 Justice reform advocates say the move is a good start, but they want to see the government
00:59 go further to meet the United Nations recommendations.
01:04 If we can be diverting kids away from the justice system up to the age of 12, why can't
01:10 we be doing it to 14?
01:12 They're comments backed up by the NT's Acting Children's Commissioner, Nicole Hux, who wants
01:17 to see the age raised to 14 within two years.
01:21 As for the opposition, it's in their sights to reverse the changes.
01:25 Should we form government in 2024, it will be on our agenda to look at that legislation
01:33 and change that age of criminal responsibility back.
01:36 A sign the raise the age debate is far from over.
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