Raise the Age
Support the campaign to Raise the Age of criminal responsibility to keep children in schools and communities
November 22, 2023
Australia imprisons children as young as 10, one of the youngest ages of criminal responsibility in the world. Yet overwhelming evidence from health experts, social workers, Indigenous leaders, legal experts and human rights organisations show that locking up children only does more damage.
Youth incarceration disproportionately impacts First Nations children, accounting for 65 per cent of these younger children in prisons.
Children belong in schools and their communities where their wellbeing and future are nurtured.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
The Raise the Age campaign calls for the age of criminal responsibility to be changed, acknowledging that children belong in schools and their communities where their wellbeing and future are nurtured.
In 2020, a coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and legal, medical and human rights groups came together to form a national campaign to push every single state, territory and federal government to change the laws so that children under 14 cannot be sent to prison. Additionally, the campaign calls for funding and support for the hundreds of alternatives to prisons across Australia that are in place and working.
The Uniting Church is supportive of these reforms as part of our commitment to the Covenant which calls us to build a nation based on justice and reconciliation.
Next week is a significant time to get involved in this campaign as Federal, State and Territory Attorneys-General meet on 1 December to discuss their plans to address the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
Join the #RaisetheAge Week of Action starting Friday 24 November by
- taking a selfie with a sign saying “#RaiseTheAge”, post it to your socials and tag your Attorney General and #UnitingchurchAU #allofthisisus.
- writing to your Attorney General.
Find out more about the campaign and a list of the Attorneys General here: https://raisetheage.org.au/take-action/raise-the-age-week-of-action-2023
Related news
A reflection on the March for Humanity
Why I marched: a personal reflection Minister at Hope Uniting Church Rev Hee Won Chang reflects on why she joined the March for Humanity in Sydney on Sunday 3 Augustby Rev Hee Won Chang, Minister at Hope Uniting Church, Maroubra On the weekend, the Uniting Church in Australia joined the March for Humanity. As a…
Why the Uniting Church Assembly supports the March for Humanity
A call to public witness: why the Uniting Church supports the March for Humanity The Uniting Church Assembly has chosen to officially support the public event for peace and justice in Palestine, when thousands of people will walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge Why the Uniting Church Assembly is supporting the March for Humanity…
Welcoming First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance
UCA, UAICC and UnitingCare Australia welcome First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance The announcement was made this morning by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a speech at the Garma Festival in Gulkula Uniting Church, Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and UnitingCare Australia welcome First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance as a step toward shared prosperity…
ASC adopts WCC Statement on Palestine
Uniting Church stands with the global church in call for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel The Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee has adopted a statement of the World Council of Churches Central Committee on Palestine as the Uniting Church’s official positionA Call to End Apartheid, Occupation and Impunity: Uniting Church Adopts WCC Statement…
Report: Sydney Friends of Standing Together
Sydney Friends of Standing Together event calls for peace The peace group, aligned with global movement Standing Together, held a rally in Sydney on 4 May in support of Jerusalem peace summitwritten by Rev Lindsay Cullen, Assembly Associate General Secretary Sydney Friends of Standing Together (SFOST) is a group aligned with Standing Together, which describes…
'Even the stones': A statement on Palestine - Easter 2025
“If we do not speak, even the stones will cry out” In the season of Easter 2025 and following the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, President of the Uniting Church Rev Charissa Suli has released a statement affirming the solidarity of the Uniting Church with suffering Palestine STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITING CHURCH…
Welcome to Country: an ancient, sacred ritual
Welcome to Country: a sacred ritual inviting us all into deeper relationship with this ancient land Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli has written a response after two deeply hurtful events related to Welcome to Country ceremonies on Friday sparked painful debate about the place of the custom in public life Rev Charissa Suli, President…
Media release: Palestinian Visas
Uniting Church National Assembly response: Palestinian Visas The Uniting Church National Assembly has responded to an election commitment by the Opposition Leader that visas for Palestinians from Gaza should be reassessed MEDIA RELEASE – 24 APRIL 2025 The Uniting Church in Australia strongly opposes Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s election commitment yesterday that under a…