The slogan is simple. The law is not. Queensland already has an ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ regime in place for serious youth offending. Now the Government wants to add 12 more offences. The proposed expansion is politically loud, but in practice the outcome will still turn on the charge, the evidence and the exact aggravating features alleged.
“Tough on crime” makes for an easy headline. Unfortunately, the law is more complex than that.
The Regime Already Exists — and Has Been Growing
Queensland’s “Adult Crime, Adult Time” regime means that for certain serious offences, a child can be sentenced under the same penalty settings that apply to an adult. The scheme began with the Making Queensland Safer Act 2024, which introduced adult-equivalent penalties for 13 specified offences including murder, manslaughter, unlawful striking causing death, grievous bodily harm, wounding, dangerous operation of a vehicle, serious assault, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, robbery, burglary, entering premises to commit an indictable offence, and unlawful entry of a vehicle to commit an indictable offence.
It was then expanded again in 2025. An official committee briefing on the 2025 amendment bill confirms that the 2024 law had already made children liable to adult maximum, minimum and mandatory penalties for those 13 offences, and that the 2025 bill proposed to add 20 further offences. That bill later passed and received assent on 23 May 2025. In other words, before this latest Bill even passes, the regime is already a large one.
Now the State Government wants to push that scheme further again. The proposed expansion sits in the Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time and Taking a Strong Stance on Drugs and Anti-Social Behaviour Amendment Bill 2026, introduced on 3 March 2026 and currently at the committee stage — it has not yet passed as law.
That distinction matters more than most people realise. In criminal law, there is a big difference between what has been announced, what has been introduced, and what is actually in force. People hear the slogan and assume the answer is simple. It usually is not.
The 12 Proposed New Offences
Under the 2026 Bill, the proposed additions are:
- Riot in its most serious form
- Indecent treatment of a child in certain aggravated circumstances
- Abuse of persons with an impairment of the mind
- Conspiring to murder
- Aiding suicide
- Disabling a person to commit an indictable offence
- Choking, suffocation or strangulation in a domestic setting
- Stupefying a person to commit an indictable offence
- Endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent
- Administering poison with intent to harm where life is endangered or grievous bodily harm is caused
- Assault occasioning bodily harm in certain aggravated circumstances
- Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse
Even that summary needs care. These are not all broad, catch-all offences. Some only fall into the proposed scheme if a particular aggravating feature is present. Riot, for example, is only included where the more serious penalty circumstance applies. The same is true for indecent treatment of a child in the specified circumstances, administering poison in the most serious category, and assault occasioning bodily harm where the alleged facts include publication on social media or offending while armed, pretending to be armed, or in company.
That is where real cases are won or lost.
The Bill Goes Further Than the Headline Suggests
The 2026 Bill does not just add 12 more offences. It also proposes to extend the scheme to general attempts, conspiracies and accessories after the fact where the underlying offence is already an “Adult Crime, Adult Time” offence, and to the standalone offence of attempted robbery simpliciter. The explanatory notes also confirm that the amended provisions would apply only to offences committed after the legislation comes into force.
What This Means Once Someone Is Charged
Because once a person is charged, the slogan drops away and the detail takes over. What exactly is alleged? What part of the section has been charged? Is the prosecution relying on an aggravating circumstance? Can that actually be proved? What was said in interview? What is on the phone? What do the CCTV clips really show? What version of events is the court going to hear first? Those are not side issue questions. They point to the foundation of the case.
For children, parents and families, the practical effect is obvious. The consequences can become much more serious, much more quickly. A case that might once have been treated one way may now carry a very different level of exposure. That makes early advice important, not optional.
Do Not Wait for the First Court Date
People should stop assuming the first court date is the time to start paying attention. By then, admissions may already have been made. Bail issues may already have been mishandled. The prosecution narrative may already be taking shape. In serious criminal matters, the early steps often matter just as much as what happens later in court.
The other reality is this: not every allegation fits as neatly as police first suggest. Sometimes the facts are overstated. Sometimes the wrong charge is laid. Sometimes an aggravating feature is assumed but cannot be proved. Sometimes the strongest work in a case happens early and quietly, well before sentence and sometimes before trial.
That is why experienced criminal defence lawyers do not look at these cases in slogans. We look at the charge, evidence, features, defences, bail position, and the realistic prospects of taking the matter in a particular direction.
Anyone facing criminal allegations should obtain proper legal advice as early as possible. That applies whether the matter is already before the court, whether police want an interview, or whether someone is trying to work out where they stand before charges are laid.
Early advice can make a real difference. If you or someone you know has been charged with a criminal offence, contact our experienced team today.
