Legislative Council: Thursday, September 12, 2024

Contents

Age of Criminal Responsibility

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:46): Supplementary: when will the Attorney-General bring legislation to this chamber to raise the age of criminal responsibility? What is the timeframe?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for his supplementary question. I want to be very clear: this is not a question of when, it is a question of if. As I have outlined, we do not have a policy in relation to raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility. What we do have is an interest in assessing what the options would be and what would tend to make the community safer.