This week, the Queensland government introduced legislation proposing to make various changes to the state’s criminal laws. One of these changes was to add a further 12 offences to the controversial ‘adult crime adult time’ system, under which children who are found guilty of certain serious offences are subject to the same sentencing regime as adults. This page outlines the proposed changes.

Legislation

The Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time and Taking a Strong Stance on Drugs and Anti-Social Behaviour Amendment Bill 2026 seeks to make changes to a number of Queensland acts, including the Youth Justice Act 1992. 

Adult crime, adult time

In 2024, the Queensland Government passed sweeping changes to the state’s youth justice laws. 

The changes included the abolition of the principle that detention is a last resort when dealing with a young person, and the introduction of adult penalties for 13 serious offences when committed by a young person.

The offences originally included in the adult crime, adult time regime included murder, manslaughter, robbery and burglary. 

The following year, a further 15 offences were added to the adult crime, adult time regime. These included rape, kidnapping, attempted murder and deprivation of liberty.

Proposed changes

The government is now proposing to extend the adult crime, adult time regime to the following offences:

  • Some riot offences
  • Some offences of indecent treatment of a child
  • Abuse of a person with an impairment of the mind
  • Conspiracy to murder
  • Aiding suicide
  • Disabling in order to commit an indictable offence
  • Choking, suffocation, or strangulation in a domestic setting 
  • Stupefying in order to commit an indictable offence
  • Endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent
  • Administering poison with intent to harm, under certain circumstances
  • Assaults occasionally bodily harm, under certain circumstances
  • Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment, or abuse

The proposed legislation would also extend the operation of the adult crime, adult time regime to offences involving attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or being an accessory after the fact to any of the adult crime, adult time offences.

What does this mean?

If these changes are passed, it will mean that a minor who is found guilty of one of the above offences will be subject to a longer maximum penalty, as the penalties for youth will change to align with the adult penalties. A maximum penalty of detention for life will apply in relation to some of the offences. 

Community responses

While the government has claimed that the changes are necessary in order to protect communities from anti-social behaviour and crime, community responses to the proposals have been mixed.

The community and legal sectors have expressed concerns about the increasingly punitive approach to youth crime and its potential to disproportionately impact disadvantaged children. They have called for better consultation and alternatives focussed on support rather than punishment.

Other criticisms of the changes have included that a more punitive approach to youth crime is unlikely to lead to a reduction in offending and could worsen long-term outcomes, and that the laws are incompatible with human rights norms, including the Queensland Human Rights Act.

Formal parliamentary debate on the legislation has not yet occurred.

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