Thursday, 20 August 2020
Law Society welcomes first steps towards stopping children being imprisoned
The ACT Law Society today welcomed the Legislative Assembly's first tentative steps towards raising the age of criminal resposibility from 10 to 14 years, to keep children out of prison.
"We are cautiously optimistic about today's decision," said Chris Donohue, President of the Law Society. "The proposal, brought before the Assembly by Shane Rattenbury MLA, brings us one step closer to this much-overdue reform. We should be treating children like children, not criminals.
"The Law Society welcomes Attorney-General Ramsay’s public support of this reform and for identifying a clear way forward. We are pleased to see the ACT taking a leadership role in this very necessary change.
"However, there is a need for action on this reform to be taken more quickly. The Law Society, and our specialist legal committees, stand ready to assist the ACT Government with the next steps."