Reduce crime - new laws introduced
The Territory Government has introduced new laws to reduce crime and improve safety.
They include:
- stronger bail laws
- mandatory minimum sentences for assaulting workers
- offences for ram raids and posting and boasting online
- lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10
- additional powers to tackle nuisance public drinking and knife crime.
The laws aim to target people doing the wrong thing without negatively impacting everyday Territorians.
Reduced crime means improved safety, a better lifestyle and stronger economy for all Territorians and visitors.
What happens now
Now the bills have passed in the October parliamentary sittings, they will progress to the Administrator of the Northern Territory (NT) for assent. Once law, the following will commence:
- new nuisance public drinking offence
- the age of criminal responsibility is lowered to 10 (meaning youths are 10 to 17 year olds)
- new ram raid offence
- new posting and boasting offence
- mandatory sentencing for assaulting workers
- more police powers to detect knife crime.
The remaining changes to bail reform (Declan’s Law) will commence by January 2025. This allows adequate time for the necessary operational changes in the justice system and corrections.
Declan’s Law is named after Declan Laverty, who was killed on 19 March 2023, after being attacked while at work.
For more information on the crime reduction laws, go to the Chief Minister and Cabinet website.
