Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services - Hervey Bay

Our goal is to provide a fair and balanced response to young people in contact with the youth justice system.

This response:

• holds young people accountable for their actions
• encourages young people to reintegrate into the community
• gives young people skills to create a better future
• promotes community safety.

Overview of legislation

The Youth Justice Act 1992 took effect on 1 September 1993 as the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 . The Act provides a framework for dealing with young people in contact with the youth justice system. This framework outlines:

• procedures for police to respond to young people
• diversionary options such as cautioning and restorative justice conferencing
• how courts deal with young people
• a range of sentencing options
• how we manage young people on sentence orders
• how youth detention centres are operated
• the importance of families and communities in the rehabilitation and reintegration of young people, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• youth justice principles.

The Act includes a wide range of options to address the variety of offending that happens. Offending can range from minor, one-off offending (that represents most offending) to serious, persistent offending.

The Act has been amended numerous times since it commenced. Information about significant recent amendments is on our departmental website.

17-year-olds

The Youth Justice and Other Legislation (Inclusion of 17-year-old Persons) Amendment Act 2016 started on 12 February 2018. Young offenders who are 17 are now dealt with in the youth justice system.

This brought Queensland into line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the law in all other Australian jurisdictions.