Age of criminal responsibility

The Victorian government has decided to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12, abandoning its previous commitment to increase it to 14 by 2027. Premier Jacinta Allan's decision follows public pressure and recent incidents involving youth offenders, which have sparked calls for tougher laws. Critics, including Amnesty International, have condemned this reversal, arguing it disproportionately affects First Nations communities and exacerbates the trauma faced by vulnerable children. These changes align Victoria with the Northern Territory and ACT, which have also moved to raise the age, but the abandonment of the 14-year mark has disappointed advocates for youth justice reform. The government plans to implement stricter bail conditions and electronic monitoring for young offenders. This decision reflects ongoing tensions between public safety concerns and the rights of children in the justice system.