The Queensland Government is expanding the ability of police and the courts to deal with youth crime. Photo: Queensland Police Service.
The Queensland Government is expanding police powers further, adding a dozen offences to its Adult Crime, Adult Time strategy, with new laws set to be introduced to parliament.
David Crisafulli’s LNP Government says that since the passing of the Making Queensland Safer Laws, more than 4000 youth offenders have been charged with over 19,000 Adult Crime, Adult Time offences. It says the number of victims of crime fell 7.2 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The new bill adds 12 offences to the Adult Crime, Adult Time system, delivering on the LNP’s election promises.
“In just 12 months, we’ve taken strong, decisive steps to address Labor’s youth crime crisis and break the cycle of repeat offending, and we’re giving judges and magistrates the tools they need to hand down sentences that reflect community expectations,” Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Deb Frecklington said.
“We’re just getting started and our important work will continue, including strengthening laws where necessary.”
The 12 new offences to be introduced to the parliament will take the number of youth crime offences that can be punished with adult time to 45.
These include:
- 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.
- Assault occasioning bodily harm.
- Conspiring to murder.
- Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse.
- Rioting.
- Abuse of persons with an impairment of the mind.
- Indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16.
These additional offences deliver on the government’s promise to expand the scheme, as recommended by an expert legal panel, a body established to consider more complex and serious offences.
Premier David Crisafulli said: “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.
“Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time sends a strong message to young thugs that there are consequences for their actions.
“Reversing a decade of watered-down laws will take time, and we won’t stop until there are fewer victims in Queensland.”
