Children Under 10 Cannot Be Held Criminally Responsible, and Up to 10 Years Jail for Ram-Raiding
Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2024
Topics
child criminal responsibility child safety criminal justice criminal penalties property crime public safety ram raids sentencing social media youth justice
Introduced by: The Hon Gerard Maley MLA (CLP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Gerard Maley CLP
“Madam Speaker, I present a Bill entitled Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2024, Serial 2. Bill read a first time.”
Chanston Paech ALP
“Madam Speaker, I move that the debate be adjourned. Motion agreed to; debate adjourned. VISITORS Taminmin College Madam SPEAKER: Honourable members, I advise of the presence in the gallery of students from Taminmin College, accompanied by their teacher. On behalf of honourable members, I extend a warm welcome to you all. Members: Hear, hear!”
Selena Uibo ALP
“Madam Speaker, I will speak briefly on the proposed amendments. There are three key areas in this Bill. I will start on the provision of ramraiding being introduced.”
Bill Yan CLP
“Madam Speaker, before lunch I was speaking about ramraiding. We spoke about businesses that were ramraided, but the more dangerous effects of young people in stolen cars is ramraiding and targeting police and security staff. I will read about events that happened recently in Central Australia.”
Dheran Young ALP
“Madam Speaker, all Territorians have a right to feel safe. Territory Labor has heard loud and clear that community safety is a concern for people in the Territory. We want children to be held accountable for their behaviour; however, we also want children to be supported and put on a better path, learning at school and contributing to our Territory communities.”
Jo Hersey CLP
“Madam Speaker, I put on the record my contribution towards the posting and boasting and ramraid legislation. 200 --- Debates and Questions Thursday 17 October 2024 Meeting No 3 I remind those on the other side of the Chamber that we went to the recent election with the promise of bringing this legislation during the first sittings of parliament, and this is what we are doing.”
Matthew Kerle CLP
“Madam Speaker, I will address the comments by the Member for Gwoja. They had eight years to implement all of the things he mentioned. He was a minister of the Crown for four of those years, yet over that time crime rates and incarceration--especially for these children he professes he cares about so much--only went up, not down.”
“Madam Speaker, this is a serious debate and issue. I refer to my maiden speech as reference; you may recall that I said `love, compassion and tolerance’. That needs to embrace what we are discussing. There are a lot of members, including the Members for Nightcliff, Blain and Drysdale, who have young children. They love their children and are raising them with values and respect. That is good.”
Lia Finocchiaro CLP
“Madam Speaker, I am proud to speak to this legislation which forms the second Bill in our reducing-crime package for this first sitting of parliament. It is off the back of a clear, defined and plain commitment to Territorians in the last election that in the first week of sittings we would do certain things. Yesterday, in fulfilment of that commitment to Territorians, we passed Declan’s law.”
“[By leave the member spoke in Yolngu Matha and self-interpreted in English.] Madam Speaker, I am from a country, the land of Australia, East Arnhem. I have come to fix the crime we are talking about in this Chamber. I left my job as a senior Yolngu Matha lecturer at Charles Darwin University, teaching balanda and people from other places about Yolngu rom. This is the Yolngu rom.”
Tanzil Rahman CLP
“Madam Speaker, I thank the Member for Mulka for sharing his story. We all appreciate hearing from a diversity of perspectives. I recognise that this has been a long debate and do not wish to unduly belabour points that have already been made, but I wish to respect all who have preceded me on both sides of the House and try, in earnest, to make a unique contribution.”