Penalties for 13 Offences to Be Expanded Under Tougher Queensland Crime Laws

The Queensland premier has announced the introduction of the ‘adult crime, adult time’ bill by the new Liberal National Party (LNP) government. This bill is part of Premier David Crisafulli’s Making Queensland Safer laws, which aim to address youth crime in the state. The proposed legislation includes harsher penalties for crimes such as murder, manslaughter, unlawful wounding, aggravated break and enter, and car theft. The maximum sentence for murder and manslaughter will be increased to a mandatory life sentence, while other offenses will attract longer jail terms. Additionally, young offenders will no longer be able to erase their criminal record once they turn 18. The amendments also allow children’s courts to be open to the media, victims, and their supporters. The government aims to have the new laws passed by Christmas, with a focus on implementing early intervention programs to prevent crime. The Attorney-General emphasized that the changes would enable courts to consider an offender’s full criminal history when sentencing, ensuring that sentences meet community expectations. While the opposition supported the motion, they criticized the lack of transparency in revealing the details of the legislation to the public.

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