Allan government to push bill raising age of criminal responsibility through Victoria’s lower house

A controversial push by the Allan government to raise the age of criminal responsibility — amid a youth crime crisis — is facing fierce opposition in Victoria’s lower house.

The Allan government has blocked an attempt by the state opposition to introduce a Bill to strengthen Victorian bail laws.

Shadow Attorney-General Michael O’Brien on Thursday attempted to introduce a Bill that would have wound back legislation that passed parliament earlier this year which weakened bail laws.

Under the proposal, the crimes of committing indictable offences while on bail and breaching bail would have been reinstated.

Bail decision-makers would also have been compelled to consider the likelihood of any applicant committing further indictable offences if bailed.

The government is moving to lift the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. Picture: Supplied

But the move to introduce the Bill was blocked by Labor, the Greens and sacked Labor MP turned independent Darren Cheeseman.

Labor has come under immense pressure since weakening bail laws over a spate of youth crime allegedly committed by teens, who have been repeatedly bailed.

The Herald Sun revealed earlier this month the government was considering toughening youth bail laws in response to the scourge.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said the government was exploring changes to the application of the unacceptable risk test and to revocation of bail.

Age of criminal responsibility debate

Premier Jacinta Allan will push ahead with her controversial plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12, despite flagging the government is willing to consider making other changes to its youth justice Bill.

The contentious legislation is expected to pass the lower house where the government holds a commanding majority.

It will then be debated in the upper house, when parliament next sits later this month. It is expected that opposition and crossbench MPs will seek amendments.

The Coalition will oppose a suite of reforms to Victoria’s youth justice system they say would jeopardise any attempt to address the state’s worsening youth crime crisis.

Despite the government conceding more needs to be done to address Victoria’s youth crime crisis, Ms Allan said the legislation will still be put to a vote in the lower house on Thursday.

“It’s clear that there is more to do … We need to take a whole of justice system response to what is clearly a changed pattern of behaviour,” she said.

“We have a number of young people repeat offending. We need to deal particularly with that issue.

“We’re looking at further measures and we’ll have more to say about that soon.”

Ms Allan said it is yet to be determined what those changes are – and whether they’ll require legislative change or reform to existing programs.

“Everything is on the table, everything is on the table for what we’re looking at,” she said.

But Ms Allan said the government is not open to keeping the age of criminal responsibility at 10.

The government has conceded more needs to be done to address the state’s worsening youth crime.

Youth crime skyrockets in Victoria

Latest youth crime data, released in June, revealed crimes involving children as young as 10 had skyrocketed to their highest levels since 2010.

Children aged 10 or 11 recorded a 52.6 per cent spike in the number of offences committed, while those aged 14 to 17 were considered “over-represented” in burglaries, assaults, robberies and car thefts.

Under reforms to be debated in the lower house on Thursday, a legislated scheme for warnings, cautions and early diversion will encourage police to avoid charging children.

The doli incapax principle — that dictates the presumption that a child aged 10 to 14 is incapable of criminal intent — will also be written into legislation.

Electronic monitoring will also be legislated as an optional bail condition for children.

But the government has been urged to go further in reforming bail, with and is actively canvassing potential changes to its landmark youth justice reforms to address increasing community angst amid a spate of high profile youth crimes in recent months.

They include the tragic death of trainee doctor William Taylor who was hit and killed in a horror car crash earlier this month.

Police allege a group of teens were joy-riding in a stolen car that ploughed into Mr Taylor’s vehicle.

Trainee doctor William Taylor was killed in a horror crash allegedly involving teens in a stolen car. Picture: Supplied

The government says its proposed youth justice overhaul strikes the right balance between slapping the state’s worst young offenders with harsher consequences, while also intervening early to get kids on the right path in life.

Despite facing opposition the reforms will pass the lower house because of the government’s whopping majority.

The government will then need the support of crossbench MPs in the upper house to ensure they pass there.