[no bill text published] Criminal offence for assaulting corrections workers
Youth Justice and Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2026
Assembly
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
It is now a crime to assault corrections workers; this includes officers, superintendents, and facility staff.
Police officers get immunity when performing functions under the Youth Justice Act 2005.
Police can hold youth in a station or watch house for up to 48 hours if they cannot get them to a detention centre quickly.
Youth can be held in intake and transfer facilities to await a move to a detention centre; this applies even if they first went to a hospital.
Superintendents can search detainees for safety or prohibited items; the rules for these searches differ based on whether the youth is inside or outside the facility.
Police must tell youth they have a right to silence, a right to a lawyer, and a right to a support person before interviews.
Police cannot interview a youth if that youth uses their right to silence.
Police can conduct urgent interviews about public safety; they must tell the youth that these specific statements cannot be used against them in court.