Research from The Australia Institute and Change the Record shows that most Australians agree children as young as 10 years old do not belong in prison, and that Australia’s age of criminal responsibility should be increased from 10 years of age to the global median of 14 years of age, or higher.

The Council of Attorneys-General (CAG) is set to meet for what may be the final time on Monday 27 July to consider the outcome of a national review to raise Australia’s age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to bring it in line with the global median of 14 years of age, or higher. The CAG consists of the Federal, State and Territories Attorneys-General, and the New Zealand Minister for Justice.

Key findings:

• Across Australia, the age of criminal responsibility – the age at which a child can be locked up in prison – is 10 years old, which is out of step with the global median of 14 years old.
• Almost three in every four Australians (73%) think the age of criminal responsibility is greater than 10 years. More than one in two Australians (51%) think the age is 14 years or greater.
• Only a very small minority of Australians (7%) correctly identify 10 years old as the age of criminal responsibility.
• More than one in two Australians (51%) support raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years, which is twice as many as those who oppose raising the age to 14 years (26% oppose).