Youth Law Australia partnered with the Centre for Criminology Law and Justice at UNSW to make a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system. We submitted that the Commonwealth Government can and must play a leadership role in protecting the rights, safety and wellbeing of children in the context of the criminal law system. We advocated for national, legislated minimum standards which are enforceable, as well as a monitoring, reporting and accountability framework.

Youth Law Australian made a submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Child on children’s right to access and effective remedies to inform the Committee’s work on General Comment 27. Our submission focuses on the role of legal and advocacy services in ensuring children can exercise their rights to access justice and effective remedies. 

Youth Law Australia made a submission to the inquiry into Children and young people with disability in New South Wales educational settings in February 2024. We also gave evidence at a hearing based on our experience advising children and young people with disability, and their advocates, about issues arising from their education. We made five recommendations, and endorsed a number of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. 

Youth Law Australia, in collaboration with the University of Tasmania Student Legal Service, and the Tasmanian University Student Association, put forward a submission to the Select Committee on Cost of Living. We propose 18 recommendations to ease the pressures of the cost of living crisis on young people. Recommendations are based on the intersections between cost of living pressures and the types of legal challenges that young people and students experience. 

Youth Law Australia made a submission to the independent review of the National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP). Youth Law Australia is a national community legal centre that is almost wholly reliant on non-NLAP Commonwealth funding. We discuss the importance of funding sources for national community legal centres, and focused on the effectiveness and challenges of service delivery. 

Youth Law Australia submitted a response to the Youth Network of Tasmania’s Discussion Paper entitled Becoming an adult: the experience of young Tasmanians today. Responses to the Discussion Paper will inform the development of a whole-of-government Action Plan that will focus on and address the needs of young people aged 18-25 in Tasmania as they transition to adulthood.

Youth Law Australia made a submission to the Commonwealth Senate in support of the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2023. The proposed amendment will require Australian decision-makers to take the health and wellbeing of children and young people into account when they make decisions that impact our climate. Our submission was endorsed by the Australian Child Rights Taskforce.

Youth Law Australia put forward a submission to the Australian Government and Attorney-General’s Department on the Scoping the development of specialised and trauma-informed legal services for victims and survivors of sexual assault: Discussion Paper. We consider the overwhelming evidence that the Department must prioritise specialist sexual violence legal services for children and young people.

Youth Law Australia put forward a submission to the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s Review of Privacy Laws in Australia. We emphasise that any reform of privacy laws should be informed by the rights and best interests of children and young people.

Youth Law Australia made a submission to the National Children’s Commissioner’s Youth Justice and Wellbeing Reform across Australia project. We make strong suggestions for what needs to be changed so that youth justice protects the rights and wellbeing of children and young people, consider the barriers for change, and offer alternative approaches to be adopted in place of the current juvenile justice system.

Youth Law Australia made a submission in response to the Family Law Amendment Bill 2023. Our submission emphasises that the safety and best interests of children and young people must be prioritised in the family law system. This requires the direct and ongoing participation of children and young people in the family law processes and proceedings that are about them.

Youth Law Australia made this submission to the inquiry into the Family Law Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill 2023. This bill would amend the Family Law Act 1975 to expand the information sharing framework for information relating to family violence, child abuse and neglect risks in parenting proceedings before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and the Family Court of Western Australia.

This was a submission to the Commonwealth Attorney-General following the release of the Privacy Act Review Report 2023.

This submission addresses the issue of children and young people’s access to justice for alleged rights violations, or risks thereof, arising within institutional settings. Our recommendation is that the Tasmanian Government should fund and appropriately design independent legal assistance services for children and young people who have experienced or are at risk of maltreatment and/or sexual abuse in Tasmanian Government institutional settings.

The safety of children and young people must be prioritised in the family law system. Youth Law Australia also believes that the best interests of children and young people can only be determined by hearing from them. Children and young people must have genuine, ongoing, direct and meaningful participation in the family law processes and proceedings that are about them.

Youth Law Australia believes that decent work for young workers must be work that also provides equal pay for work of equal value. We believe the only way to ensure that young workers receive equal pay for work of equal value is to abolish junior rates of pay, and to continuously work to reduce the incidence of underpayment and wage theft.

Raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility is not only consistent with international human rights law, it also has the potential to result in a new approach to dealing with children and young people who engage in problematic behaviour, focused on their welfare.

Such an approach has the potential to deliver great benefits not only to young people and their families, but to society more generally.

The purpose of this report was to assess the implementation of the ICCPR in Australia (which was implemented in Australia on 13 August 1980). Youth Law Australia prepared the “Children’s Rights” section of the Shadow Report for the 6th periodic report of the ICCPR (September 2017) under the input and direction of the Steering Committee of the Child Rights Taskforce.

We were delighted to make a submission to the Consultation On Tasmania’s First Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy. Our submission focused on access to justice, which is a core human right, and an essential part of ensuring the rights of children and young people are protected and promoted.

Youth Law Australia was pleased to make this submission to the Australian Council of Attorneys-General in February 2020. Our submission summarises the practical concerns relating to doli incapax before recommending that governments increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years of age and repeal doli incapax.

Youth Law Australia made this submission to the ACT Government Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR) Discussion Paper in August 2021. It adds to a body of submissions made by our organisation to urge all Australian states and territories to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14.

Youth Law Australia made this submission in support of the Criminal Law (Raising the Age of Responsibility) Amendment Bill 2021 (Qld) which, if passed, will ensure that children under 14 years of age in Queensland are no longer incarcerated or otherwise punished under the criminal legal system. It adds to a body of submissions made by our organisation to urge all Australian states and territories to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14.

Youth Law Australia made this submission for the inquiry into Children and young people with disability in New South Wales educational settings. This has been a long-time concern for YLA and the opportunity to make a submission was welcomed. This submission encourages law reform, greater transparency in decision-making and reviews of current NSW procedures to improve educational settings for those disadvantaged.  

Youth Law Australia made this submission in support of the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill Exposure Draft 2022 (NT) which seeks to expand the scope of prohibited discrimination on the basis of certain attributes such as age and race.

Youth Law Australia contributed to the research conducted by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at the University of NSW on the exchange of personal information between government agencies, and between government and other sectors. The research was commissioned by the NSW Government Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Youth Law Australia contributed to the research conducted by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at the University of NSW, the University of South Australia, the University of Western Sydney, and the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre on the exposure of youth to cyberbullying and the management of cyberbullying. The research was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Communications. This research formed the basis of 4 reports being the Research on youth exposure to, and engagement of, cyberbullying incidents in Australia Parts A-C (including Appendices) and a synthesis report.

Part A:

Part B:

Part C:

Part C – Appendix A:

Part C – Appendix B:

Part C – Appendix C:

Part C – Appendix D:

Synthesis report:

Youth Law Australia partnered with Legal Aid NSW to conduct research into the online behaviours of young people in NSW and how criminal laws apply to their behaviour. The focus of the research was on cyberbullying and sexting, and sought to empower young people to understand their rights and to engage in consultation about the need for law and policy reform.

This research projected was conducted between the centre and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, funded by the Australian Youth Foundation. The project’s major findings were that students with disability experienced discrimination in enrolment, conditions of enrolment, access to school services, differential application of discipline policies and the failure to address bullying and harassment.

Are nudes against the law? During COVID-19 we saw an increase in NSW young people seeking help about image-based abuse. In response, we teamed up with Youth Action NSW to create a resource to let you known how the law applies to sexting and image-based abuse in NSW and where to go for help. You can view the factsheet by clicking on the links below.

In March 2018, Youth Law Australia received the exciting news that we were selected to take part in the Telstra Foundation Tech4Good Challenge. You can read more about the challenge on our projects page here.

This process  culminated in a written proposal, and supplementary pitch video.

Youth Law Australia contributed to the writing of Children and the Law 2nd Edition, edited by Lisa Young, Mary Anne Kenny and Geoffrey Monahan in the form of developing several case scenarios on common legal issues faced by children.

The scenarios were based on common queries received, and the advice provided. The purpose of these scenarios was to demonstrate how the law works in practice in advising children and young people throughout Australia. The scenarios are contained within the Appendix.

This report was drafted by the Australian Child Rights Taskforce, being a network of over 100 organisations and individuals committed to the protection, promotion and fulfilment of the rights of children in Australia. The purpose of the report was to review the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child since its ratification in 1990 and make recommendations to better protect the rights of the child.

Youth Law Australia collaborated with the Indigenous Law Centre to produce a child rights focussed edition of the Indigenous Law Bulletin. The bulletin explored issues relating to the rights of Indigenous children and young people and included articles on out-of-home care arrangements, self-harm and helpseeking behaviour, and the work of Indigenous community controlled organisations, programs and solutions. You can read more here.

This Discussion Paper examines the various issues associated with Australia’s current arrangements for the guardianship of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Australia. Under the Immigration (Guardianship of Children) Act 1946 (Cth), the Commonwealth Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is designated to be the legal guardian of every unaccompanied child who arrives in Australia. As with any fiduciary relationship, the guardian-Minister is expected to act with loyalty and good faith, and is expected to pursue the best interests of their ward-unaccompanied minor at all times.

This report was drafted by the Australian Child Rights Taskforce, being a network of over 100 organisations and individuals committed to the protection, promotion and fulfilment of the rights of children in Australia. The report serves as the NGO Report submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and reviews the progress of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implementation in Australia.

This discussion paper examines the legal relationship between counsellors and their clients who are children. It commences with an overview of the current practices of counsellors in retaining confidences and the expectations of children and the public as to when confidences should be maintained.

This briefing paper was prepared by YLA, DCI Australia and UNICEF Australia to explain the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its various articles.

The 2014 Children’s Law Awards ceremony was held on Friday 5 September 2014 at the Sydney office of King & Wood Mallesons. Finalists from New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and South Australia attended the ceremony. Guests included representatives from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the Human Rights Law Centre, Justice Connect, UNICEF Australia, Refugee Advice & Casework Service and Salvos Legal.

The 2014 Children’s Law Awards recognise the achievements and commitment of those individuals and organisations who advance the legal rights and interests of children and young people across Australia.

The winners of the 2012 Children’s Law Awards have been announced, acknowledging the importance of promoting and advocating children’s legal rights in Australia. Presented by the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre (NCYLC) and King & Wood Mallesons with the support of the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, the awards recognise the achievements and commitment of individuals and organisations who advance the legal rights and interests of children and young people across the country.

Youth Law Australia provides free and confidential legal advice to any child, young person under 25 or their advocate in Australia. We respectfully acknowledge the diversity of views of people across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous communities and we are here to support you with any legal problem, no matter how you vote.  

As the only national children’s legal centre in Australia, we see, every day, how Australian law and policies disproportionately impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, with devasting outcomes. While many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are thriving and resilient in families with strong connections to culture and community, many are not. More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are taken from their families and culture, detained in youth justice facilities, excluded from education and suffer worse health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. Despite numerous inquiries and Royal Commissions, we continue to fail to achieve equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.  

We have also observed how programs led by or informed by First Nations people have positive outcomes for First Nations children and young people. We believe that with national support for self-determination and participation through The Voice to Parliament, our nation can do better for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, and we must do better.  

As an organisation, we are guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. For 30 years, Youth Law Australia has been dedicated to addressing the human rights abuses of children and young people in Australia. We have long been committed to listening and recognising when fundamental rights are being ignored.  

Under international law, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people have the right to: 

• Self-determination – the right to make decisions about matters that impact them. 
• Recognition – the right to be recognised as distinct peoples, including the recognition of treaties and agreements.   
• Non-discrimination – the right to be free of any kind of discrimination.  
• Participation – the right to participate in decisions that impact them.  
• Freedom of expression – the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas.  
• Survival and Development – the right of children and young people to survive and develop. 
• Best interests – the right that in all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child will be the primary consideration.   

Australia is falling short of achieving these rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, we believe that The Voice is the next step to achieving these rights.  

We support the call to action contained in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and we will continue to advocate for treaty making and truth-telling along with constitutional recognition.  

We will also support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led calls to ensure that the Voice itself engages directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people and makes representations to promote, protect and defend their human and legal rights.