2024-08-16
The Victorian Greens have supported the passage of the Youth Justice Bill after securing a number of reforms that will strengthen children’s human rights and safety.
The Victorian Greens pushed for a number of significant amendments that have been successful including a legislated ban on the use of spit hoods, public reporting on strip searches, and greater oversight of the duration and reporting of isolation used on children in youth detention.
The Bill also abolishes the use of solitary confinement in youth detention, a reform long advocated for by the Greens and included in their bill to amend section 344 of the Children Youth and Families Act 2005.
The Greens also moved an amendment to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 which was unsuccessful, with Labor and the Liberals teaming up to vote it down.
The Greens say that while raising the age to 14 has cowardly been abandoned by Labor, we absolutely need to see the age lifted to 12 and will continue to push for further reform.
There were a number of clauses in the bill that the Greens opposed, including the use of ankle bracelets and 16-17 year olds being sent to adult prisons.
The Greens justice spokesperson Katherine Copsey said that the reforms secured by the Greens are significant and important measures that will help ensure the human rights and safety of children.
Quotes attributable to the Victorian Greens spokesperson for justice, Katherine Copsey:
“The positive measures in this bill are the result of powerful and committed advocacy by First Nations, legal and human rights groups and the Greens are proud to back their efforts.
“The age of criminal responsibility has been lifted to 12 as a first step, and we need to see measures that divert children from the criminal justice system because this is what we know is best for children and for community safety.
“Labor is on the wrong side of history with their cowardly backflip on raising the age to 14 this week, but the Greens will continue to stand with First Nations communities and the experts and push for this reform.”