‘Abandon the madness’: Qld govt defends youth crime laws after ex-judge’s plea

Queensland’s youth justice minister will seek to meet a former top appeals judge about its controversial youth justice laws after she called on politicians to “end the race to the bottom”.

Former president of the Court of Appeal Margaret McMurdo made the call after the Palaszczuk government last week pushed through laws allowing children to be held within police watch houses.

In an open letter, McMurdo said reoffending rates increased for children who were placed in youth detention centres, and prevention, early intervention and rehabilitation in the community are the best ways to combat recidivism.

She said serious offenders required detention but many of the children adding to youth detention numbers required rehabilitation and supervision in the community.

“There is no need to abandon long-established youth justice principles and lock them up in watch houses,” McMurdo said in the letter published by News Corp.

Justice Margaret McMurdo will raise concerns with the Andrews government about the new informant legislation.

“For the sake of our victims, our troubled young people and all Queensland taxpayers, I implore the premier and the leader of the opposition to abandon the madness of the current law and order youth justice action.”

Acting Premier Steven Miles said Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer would seek a meeting with McMurdo this week to discuss her concerns.

He said the government had the greatest respect for McMurdo and it shared many of her sentiments.

“We are investing in rehabilitation, we are investing in community programs, we are investing in intervention and prevention, and those programs are working.

“So it’s not fair to say that we aren’t focused on that, but what we also have is a group of violent repeat offenders who police are concerned are a safety risk to the community.”

The government pushed through the changes last week following a Supreme Court ruling that cast doubt over the lawfulness of holding children in police watch houses rather than in youth detention centres.

The government faced a storm of criticism after it introduced the amendments without warning, with the opposition and cross bench accusing it of sidestepping proper scrutiny.

Rights advocates and legal groups have slammed the changes, which override human rights laws but which Labor says merely cement a practice that has been in place for 30 years.

With detention centres at capacity and two new facilities not expected to be completed until 2026, ministers said they had to act urgently or serious offenders could potentially be released into the community.

– AAP