Inside Gold Coast’s children’s court

LEVEL three of the Southport Courthouse is full, with young people milling about dressed in the latest fashions, girls with baggy hoodies covering midriff tops and boys always wearing a cap. They should be worried about facing a magistrate, instead it’s all a big joke

The Youth Justice court has been expanded. Photo by Richard Gosling

LEVEL three of the Southport Courthouse is full, with young people milling about dressed in the latest fashions, girls with baggy hoodies covering midriff tops and boys always wearing a cap.

Most have thinly rolled cigarettes in their hands or behind their ears.

They take turns piling into the lift to the ground floor so they can go outside to smoke their anorexic cigarettes.

They are young — young enough that most should be at school on a weekday.

Instead they are sitting in the waiting area, listening for their names to be called so they can face the Southport Children’s Court.

Their demeanour does not reflect the seriousness of their situation.

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Teens out the front of Southport Court. Photo by Richard Gosling

Instead they are laughing and joking with each other.

As each child leaves the courtroom they compare sentences, laughing at penalties that have been dished out.

This scene plays out twice a week when the juvenile justice call-over is held each Monday and Wednesday at Southport.

Previously it was held on one day but the juvenile calendar has been so packed that in recent weeks the Southport juvenile justice day was expanded to twice a week.

A teen outside Southport Court. Photo by Richard Gosling

The Gold Coast Bulletin asked why the decision was made to increase the call-over to two days but both the Southport Courthouse and the Chief Magistrate declined to comment.

Lawyers have speculated the move was made after the State Government changed the law to include 17-year-olds as juveniles rather than adults.

Legal expert Bill Potts, of Potts Lawyers, said police had been instructed to have no tolerance when it came to kids committing crime and taking them before the court.

“Ultimately it’s up to the Children’s Court to ensure the kids know there are consequences,” he said.

The Children’s Court is held behind closed doors and media wanting access to the court have to do so on a case-by-case basis.

Access is rarely granted and is usually only done so for more violent crimes.

Gold Coast Detective Inspector Marc Hogan said tackling youth crime was a “complex” issue that was constantly changing.

“If anyone commits crime we will do our best to hold them to account through the system that we have,” he said.

Det Insp Hogan said it was difficult to determine if youth crime had been on the increase or not.

Originally published as Inside Gold Coast’s children’s court