Townsville lawyers react to LNP’s ‘adult crime, adult time’

Townsville defence lawyers say the LNP’s youth crime crack down is a step in the right direction. Read the full story.

The Cleveland Bay Youth Detention Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville’s defence lawyers say it will “end in tears” for juvenile offenders when harsh new punitive measures are introduced by the LNP.

Right now all children before the Townsville courts are represented by just three firms - Legal Aid, ATSILS, and Rennick Lawyers.

Legal Aid and ATSILS lawyers cannot speak to the media, as they are government employees.

Rennick Lawyers director Phil Rennick however could speak, and he said the Youth Crime Act crack down was a step in the right direction.

“I believe something had to change and only time will tell,” Mr Rennick said.

Lawyer Phil Rennick, who previously worked in the police force as a senior investigator in the Juvenile Aid Bureau (now the Child Protection Unit). Picture: Zak Simmonds

“Children need a deterrent or a punishment to deter their behaviour. I have read the proposed legislation; and I think it is a step in the right direction, but I think parents should be more accountable for their children’s behaviour and criminal activities.”

The majority of young offenders are dealt with in the lowest court, Magistrates, but if a child is charged with serious crimes they are taken upstairs to the District Court.

It’s here that firms like Legal Aid, ATSILS and Rennick Lawyers need to contract an independent criminal defence barrister to represent their young clients.

Right now, as soon as an offender turns 18, they start fresh with a clean adult record and are sentenced and treated as a ‘first time offender’ before the courts.

Queensland premier David Crisafulli introduced the LNP’s ‘Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024’ to parliament on Thursday, November 28.

Mr Crisafulli has pledged the bill will be law by Christmas, meaning it must be passed this week in order for him to meet a crucial pre-election promise.

Mr Crisafulli said the laws represented a ‘first step in 10 years’ to stand up for victims, defying critics of the laws.

“We’re not just targeting one side of it. It’s not just stronger laws, it’s also the gold standard for early intervention,” Mr Crisafulli said at the start of the month.

“I will respect that there are different views, but I need Queenslanders to know if I say something on one side of the election, it means something and we are fulfilling exactly what we told the people of Queensland we would.

28 November 2024: Queensland Premier David Crisafulli during parliament. Picture Office of the Premier

Legal and child safety experts have strongly criticised the laws, with Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall describing it as a major step in the wrong direction.
“We are forging ahead knowingly violating the UN convention against torture against children, in any other context that is called child abuse,” he told a parliamentary hearing last Monday.
“There are better ways, we know children have an immense capacity to change.”

Other criticisms have focused on the lack of capacity in the state’s youth detention centres to detain children, and the legal logjams the law changes will create in the state’s courthouses.

Included in the Bill are nine key changes:

1 - Doubling the maximum sentence for kids who commit murder, manslaughter (currently 10 years), grevious bodily harm, robbery (currently seven years), and car crimes (currently five years).

2 - Removing the ‘detention as a last resort’ condition

3 - Making a primary considering of judges when sentencing be the impact on the victim

4 - A focus on re-engaging youth in education and employment

5 - $100m for early-intervention programs, $80m for early intervention schools, $80m for circuit breaker sentencing

6 - $50m and nine new Regional Reset Camps

7 - $175m for a 12-month ‘staying on track’ program for children released from youth detention

8 - Allowing judges to consider an adult’s juvenile criminal record when sentencing them, for five years after their last childhood offence

9 - $40m for a new victim advocate service

Originally published as Townsville lawyers react to LNP’s ‘adult crime, adult time’