As an important stakeholder to the Youth Justice Reforms Review, the National Retail Association is calling all Queensland residents to participate in a survey or interview to express your views about whether recent legislative changes are on track to achieving Queensland Government objectives to tackle serious and repeat offending by young people, and to prevent knife crime and hooning.
In February 2021, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that Mr Bob Atkinson AO, APM would undertake a review of recent changes to the Youth Justice Act 1992. The new laws that came into effect in April 2021 are:
- Allow a trial of electronic monitoring for 16 and 17-year-old offenders.
- Introduce a presumption against bail for children charged with serious offences.
- Allow courts or police to consider the willingness of parents, guardians or other people to support a young person on bail.
- Include a new principle in the Youth Justice Act 1992 that asserts that the community should be protected from serious recidivist offenders.
- Clarifying that a young person cannot be remanded in custody solely because they do not have adequate accommodation or family support.
Legislation changes were also made to prevent hooning and reduce knife related crime. Laws are now in place so that vehicle owners can be held responsible for hooning offences, even if they are not the driver of the vehicle. A trial of metal detecting wands is being delivered at Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise Safe Night Precincts.
If you have any views on the effectiveness of these changes or have other recommendations in helping tackle this important issue, you can find more information here, or head straight to the online survey here. The online survey will close at COB Thursday, 30 September 2021. Your responses will remain anonymous and all information collected will be handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld).
Please note if you decide to participate in the survey, you will be asked to give your consent upon commencement of the survey. By signing it you are saying that you:
- Are aged 18 years or more.
- Understand what you have read.
- Have had any questions satisfactorily answered.
- Consent to taking part in the survey or interview.
- Consent to the information you provide in the survey or interview being part of the review.
- Understand that you are free to withdraw at any time.