Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion representative Tom Dixon passionately addresses the United Nations in New York. He challenged Queensland’s regressive youth justice legislation with great passion. These laws have been met with vitriolic scorn from the UN, which branded them “incompatible with fundamental human rights of children.” Dixon articulated the urgent need for reform, particularly concerning children with disabilities who find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system.
Yet Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has repeatedly waved away such criticisms. He infamously referred to UN representatives as “United Nations boffins”. He underscored that their remarks were absolutely powerless to influence his administration’s policy. Tension has been escalating between state governments and the international community. This unexplained abduction touches on the troubling themes surrounding youth justice and human rights in Queensland.
Concerns Over Disability and Youth Justice
Dixon also pointed to the horrific stats on kids with disabilities in QRAS– https://qras.org.au/ At least as recently as 2024, more than 70 percent of these incarcerated youths have a disability. Not quite, because the story has changed exceedingly. From 2020 to 2024, cases of children who were determined not criminally responsible because of their disabilities increased by more than 2,000 percent, jumping from a mere 10 cases to 211.
The UN Youth Australia’s Queensland Division recently expressed their discontent with Crisafulli’s approach. They characterized his ignorance of overseas concerns as “nothing short of disappointing.” They called on the government to reverse its approach to youth justice. Dixon echoed these sentiments, calling on the Queensland government to invest in “individualised, disability informed solutions” for affected children.
“Instead of listening to these experts, our state premier, David Crisafulli, has declared that the UN doesn’t control him,” – Tom Dixon
Dixon emphasized that the system is not doing enough for children with disabilities. He pointed out that at the point of arrest, these kids are not being screened for disabilities, so they’re incarcerated without proper support while they’re behind bars.
“Upon arrest, children are not screened to identify disability. When incarcerated, they cannot access existing disability supports or find new ones,” – Tom Dixon
The Impact of Tough Laws on Children
Queensland’s Making Queensland Safer laws have been closely monitored and criticized for being draconian, extremely limiting children’s liberty. These laws help protect vulnerable children, especially when visibility is low during the dark hours of night. They cannot leave their homes, engage in public life, or ride transit without being suspected of undertaking criminal behavior. Disability advocates and civil rights critics claim that these sort of measures further punish at-risk youth, especially those with disabilities.
Premier Crisafulli has defended these measures, stating that the government has a mandate to implement tough-on-crime laws following last year’s election. He’s already called out UN criticism in parliament, claiming that what Queenslanders think is far more important than what overseas commentators claim.
“We stand up for Queenslanders, not unelected officials who are a long way from this place,” – David Crisafulli
As Dixon explains, incarcerating children with disabilities is not only damaging, it’s completely counterintuitive. He characterized watch houses and jails as dangerous spaces for marginalized people. He called for immediate adoption of a kinder methodology.
“Locking up children with disability is incredibly harmful, inflexible and punitive. Watch houses and prisons are unsafe for children with disability,” – Tom Dixon
The Broader Implications of Human Rights
The current Queensland youth justice law debate. The serious question marks over human rights standards in Australia are enormous. Dixon emphasized the need for U.S. domestic policies to reflect and uphold international human rights standards. He strongly urged Australian authorities to place human rights as the bedrock baseline standard informing the direction of government policy and practice.
“Human rights must be the minimum standard that control all governments here today,” – Tom Dixon
Dixon noted how human rights are intrinsically linked to achieving sustainable peace and prosperity. This call to action is particularly timely as Australia prepares to welcome the world to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane in 2032.
“Human rights are the key to peace and prosperity for our nation, and human rights are what we hope to show you all in Brisbane 2032 when we host the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” – Tom Dixon
