In September 2024, the Federal Senate agreed to establish a National inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system. The inquiry has been referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee.
QAI made a submission to the inquiry, focusing on:
- The overrepresentation of children with disability in the youth justice system.
- The impact that over-criminisational and over-incarceration has on children with disability, particularly First Nations children with disability.
- The Commonwealth’s international obligations in regard to youth justice, in particular obligations to safeguard the rights and safety of children in the system.
- The benefits of enforceable national minimum standards of youth justice.
The Committee is due to report on the inquiry by the 28 February 2025.