Australia: Northern Territory Returns Jailing Age to 10

Facts

• The new Country Liberal Party government of Australia's Northern Territory (NT), which was elected in August, has lowered the minimum jailing age back to 10.^[1]
• The move comes after the previous Liberal government, which lost to the Country Liberal Party in the August election, had raised the age from 10 to 12.^[2]
• Newly elected Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro argued that Labor had raised without also implementing a system to hold 10 and 11-year-olds accountable for their actions. She said a 'judge's discretion' will allow 'authorities to intervene early in their lives.'^[1]
• Critics argue that reinstating the lower age limit won't reduce crime and will disproportionately impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.^[3]
• The NT currently jails children — nearly all of them Aboriginal — at a rate 11 times higher than any other Australian jurisdiction. This comes as the entire country faces calls to raise the minimum age to 14.^[2]
• While the Australian Capital Territory has raised the age above 10, and Tasmania pledged to raise it to 14 by 2029, many parts of the country are voicing concerns over a youth crime wave.^[2]

Sources: ^[1]Guardian, ^[2]BBC News and ^[3]Asaaseradio.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Australian. The Northern Territory voted overwhelmingly for the Country Liberal Party because they were worried about crime taking over their communities. Not only did voters want the jailing age brought back to 10, but also for police to be given the necessary resources. Chief Minister Finocchiaro is making decisions on behalf of her constituents and is pursuing a wise policy during a youth violence crisis.
• Left narrative, as provided by Amnesty International Australia. As young Indigenous children around Australia continue to face inhumane jailing policies, politicians still seem determined to go against the evidence and keep inhumane criminal justice laws in place. Indigenous communities have proven that their separate justice programs work well, but they can't implement them if the government keeps putting their children in jail.

Predictions