The Traditional Owners of this land are those who identify as
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Sovereignty was never ceded.

ANTAR pays respect to Elders past, present, and emerging through our dedicated advocacy for First Nations Peoples’ justice and rights.

ANTAR acknowledges the responsibility of committing to a truth-telling process that promotes an honest and respectful path forward for future generations to build upon.

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Resources ANTAR Response to NT Government Reforms

ANTAR Response to NT Government Reforms

ANTAR National
Last edited: October 18, 2024

ANTAR response to Northern Territory Government’s ‘law and order’ reforms – lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

First Nations advocacy organisation ANTAR condemns the Northern Territory Government’s ramming through of ‘law and order’ reforms without appropriate community consultation or parliamentary debate.

Lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility, bail law reform, and harsher responses including fines and charges for public consumption of alcohol all disproportionately impact First Nations people and in that regard are both inherently and systemically racist.

We know that the age of criminal responsibility at ten years old contravenes expert and medical opinion as well as Australia’s obligations under international conventions including the Rights of the Child.

All the evidence shows that criminalising children does nothing to make communities safer. It serves only to condemn our most vulnerable children to extended exposure to the criminal justice system and further deprivation of liberty.

The NT Government’s claim that this legislation reversal is voter mandated is a falsehood – the public want a reduction in crime and this regressive policy will not achieve that.

The Finocchiaro Government must pay attention to the NT Children’s Commissioner report that shows almost all very young children in Territory detention have had involvement with child protection services, and as many as half also have multiple disabilities. It is reprehensible that any government would consider responding to such at-risk children by criminalising them.

ANTAR continues to urge all governments to Raise the Age across jurisdictions, in light of the disproportionate impact on First Nations children and the crisis of hyper incarceration and deaths in custody of First Nations people more broadly.

We take our lead from First Nations leaders, frontline community services, advocates and experts, and we follow the evidence. The minimum age of criminal responsibility must be raised to at least 14 years old without exception, and certainly not lowered.

ANTAR National Director Blake Cansdale said today:

“As the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart sets out, we First Nations of these lands and waters are not an innately criminal people. We continue to resist an oppressive settler-colonial system that is stacked against us and is inherently and pervasively racist. Our children belong in community and on Country, anything less is a perpetration of the stolen generations and we will call it out as such.”