Breach of bail will again become a standalone offence for young people in Queensland after an about-face by the state government.
Queensland cabinet ministers have consistently rejected the measure favoured by the opposition to curb youth crime, but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk now says it will be reintroduced.
The move had come after listening to the community, she said, and is “in the spirit of bipartisanship”.
“The public has been talking about this, and this is a listening government,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Monday.
Asked if the move was simply symbolic, the premier said the legislation to be introduced to state parliament on Tuesday would clarify details.
The government has previously passed laws to reverse the presumption of bail for serious repeat offenders.
In December, Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard said the last time breach of bail was a crime it didn’t work, and the existing presumption against bail was more effective.
As it stands, magistrates take bail status as a factor that carries weight when deciding on penalties if a young person reoffends.
The change will make the failure to adhere to bail conditions a separate offence.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said he will keep pushing the government on youth justice, including to remove the provision of detention being a last resort.
The move follows Deputy Premier Steven Miles describing a magistrate’s decision to release 13 young people on remand as a “media stunt”.
“Of course our courts are independent and that is a critically important element of our state and the way we administer our state, but I can tell you what I think,” he said earlier in February.
“We cannot allow the safety of Townsville residents to be held to ransom by rogue courts and rogue justices.”
The children were reportedly being held in the Townsville police watch house because of detention centre capacity problems.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the youths’ release should not have been granted on the grounds of capacity constraints.
“If it is purported that the exclusive reason that bail is granted is because of capacity, I would suggest that is an unlawful reason,” he said at the time.
The new youth justice laws are expected to be introduced to the state parliament on Tuesday.
Cabinet has also approved a $42 million youth justice package, including fly-in police officers that can be dispatched to problem areas.
The laws will likely go through a two-week consultation process.
© AAP 2023
