Why Victoria’s youth crime laws won’t work
Last week, the Victorian government stunned even its own MPs – announcing laws that will allow children as young as 14 to be tried in adult courts and face life sentences.
Nov 18, 2025, updated Nov 18, 2025
The proposal was rushed into cabinet with no warning – ministers were given just minutes to read it before the meeting began.
Only a year ago, Labor promised to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Now, in response to tabloid outcry, it’s taken a sharp turn – following Queensland and adopting “adult time for adult crime”.
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Today, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Nerita Waight, on how Premier Jacinta Allan’s new laws could devastate vulnerable kids — and what it says about the kind of state Victoria is becoming in a time of treaty.
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