The Victorian government is preparing to introduce sweeping criminal law reforms that would allow juveniles as young as 14 to face the same penalties as adults for serious violent offences — including life imprisonment.
The proposal, titled “Adult Time for Violent Crime”, is part of the government’s response to what police describe as a surge in youth crime. According to official figures, overall crime in Victoria has risen 15.7% in the past year, with a sharp increase in theft, aggravated burglary, and repeat violent offences involving young offenders. Police data show that around 1,100 juveniles aged 10 to 17 were arrested 7,000 times over the past year, prompting concerns about escalating youth violence.
The reform mirrors Queensland’s 2024 legislation, enacted after a 2022 home invasion murder case, which mandates life imprisonment for juvenile murderers with a minimum 20-year non-parole period. Victorian officials argue that similar measures are needed to address repeat violent behaviour and restore public confidence in the justice system.
However, the proposal has drawn strong backlash from the legal community and human rights advocates. Former chair of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Criminal Law Section, Mel Walker, denounced the plan as “unusual, dangerous, and illogical,” warning that sending minors to adult prisons risks inflicting long-term psychological harm. Walker noted that many young offenders come from traumatic or unstable family backgrounds, often driven by “a search for belonging rather than malice.”
Critics further argue that children’s cognitive development is incomplete at age 14, making it unfair and counterproductive to subject them to adult sentences. “They simply lack the capacity to fully grasp the consequences of their actions,” Walker said.
The debate underscores a growing tension between public safety and rehabilitation in Victoria’s criminal justice system. While government officials frame the reform as a necessary deterrent, opponents warn it could entrench cycles of disadvantage and undermine Australia’s international human rights obligations on the treatment of juvenile offenders.