Queensland Expands ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ List for Young Offenders

The Queensland government has added 12 additional crimes to those for which youths can be sentenced to prison, bringing the total to 45 “adult crime, adult time” offences.

The new offences include domestic and sexual violence crimes, riot, assault occasioning bodily harm and conspiring to murder.

They are based on recommendations from the Expert Legal Panel, appointed by tin February 2025 to provide advice on reforms to Queensland’s Youth Justice Act amid the state government’s effort to crack down on growing youth crime.

The state government said that since the passing of its “Making Queensland Safer” laws, more than 4,000 adolescent offenders have been charged with over 19,000 “adult crime, adult time” offences, with the number of crime victims dropping by 7.2 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Premier David Crisafulli said expanding the range of offences covered by the law represented another step towards reducing victim numbers and  youth crime.

“We promised Queenslanders we would continue to strengthen our youth crime laws and put the rights of victims first, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” he said in a statement.

“Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time sends a strong message to young thugs that there are consequences for their actions.”

Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber said the law was  already working , but noting that “it will take time to turn the tide on youth crime.”

“Already, we have seen a reduction in victim numbers and serious repeat youth offenders,” she said.

“We are finally on the path to breaking the cycle of crime in this State, and youth offenders are not only facing serious consequences for their actions, but we are also delivering early intervention and intensive rehabilitation programs across the state,” she said.

However, the move was opposed by several groups that work with children and young people in Queensland, including the local arm of Save the Children, 54 Reasons, which was also opposed to the original law.

In a letter (pdf) to the Expert Legal Panel in 2025, 54 Reasons said it believed extending the extraordinary powers would be “more corrosive” to the effectiveness of the youth justice system. and “the principles of human rights at the foundations of our legal and justice system.”

The organisation also noted that the reform would significantly increasing pressure on jails, community justice, and social work, which would require “a large increase in government investment” to mitigate.

The minimum age of criminal responsibility in Queensland is 10.

The 12 additional offences added to the legislation are:

• Assault occasioning bodily harm
• Conspiring to murder
• Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse
• Riot
• Abuse of persons with an impairment of the mind
• Indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16
• Choking, suffocation, or strangulation in a domestic setting
• Disabling in order to commit an indictable offence
• Stupefying in order to commit an indictable offence
• Endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent
• Aiding suicide
• Administering poison with the intent to harm