The Queensland government has conceded that its new 'breach bail, go to jail' law, which imposes a mandatory year in detention on some offenders as young as 10, breaches human rights, with lawyers warning it could lead to 'cruel outcomes', according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- The Queensland government conceded its 'breach bail, go to jail' laws breach human rights, according to the Guardian.
- The law subjects some offenders as young as 10 to a mandatory sentence of a year in detention.
- The government acknowledged the laws risk further straining overcrowded jails, youth detention centres and police watch houses.
- The concession appeared in documents tabled with the legislation on Thursday.
- Human rights lawyers warned the laws could lead to 'cruel outcomes'.
The Queensland government has conceded that its latest law and order measure, which subjects some offenders as young as 10 to a mandatory sentence of a year behind bars, breaches human rights, according to the Guardian.
In documents tabled alongside the legislation on Thursday, the government acknowledged that the laws, dubbed ‘breach bail, go to jail’, would breach human rights, the Guardian reported.
The same documents warned that the measure would risk further straining the state’s already overcrowded jails, youth detention centres and police watch houses, according to the Guardian.
Human rights lawyers cited by the Guardian said the crackdown could lead to ‘cruel outcomes’.
The measure represents the latest law and order step taken by the Queensland government. The government’s own tabled documents state the laws would breach human rights and raise the risk of overcrowding.
The government’s acknowledgement that the law breaches human rights, made in its own tabled documents, places the concession on the public record as the legislation moves forward.
Why it matters
Mandatory detention for children as young as 10 raises significant questions about how governments balance public safety with the rights of young offenders. The government's own admission that the law breaches human rights, alongside warnings about overcrowded facilities, highlights tensions at the heart of tough-on-crime policy.
Frequently asked questions
What does the 'breach bail, go to jail' law do?
According to the Guardian, the law subjects some children as young as 10 to a mandatory sentence of a year in detention if they breach bail.
Did the Queensland government admit the law breaches human rights?
Yes. In documents tabled with the legislation on Thursday, the government conceded the laws would breach human rights, the Guardian reported.
What concerns have been raised about the law?
Human rights lawyers warned it could lead to 'cruel outcomes', and the government acknowledged it risks further straining overcrowded jails, youth detention centres and police watch houses.