Meeting focuses on juvenile justice
By Sean Healy
PERTH — Between 200 and 250 people packed the Social Science Lecture Theatre at the University of Western Australia on May 30 for a forum entitled "Juvenile Justice two years down the track — where are we heading?".
Organised by the Anglican Social Responsibilities Commission and the Juvenile Justice Network and sponsored by Louis St John Johnson Memorial Trust and Anglicare, the forum was organised in particular to address the new Juvenile Justice Bill, currently before parliament.
The new bill, which replaces Carmen Lawrence's notorious Serious and Repeat Offenders Act, does end that act's indeterminate sentencing but continues the whole "bring back the lash" philosophy of its predecessor. Explicit in the new bill is that the "interests of the community" have to override the rights of young offenders — which could justify all sorts of limitations on civil rights.
The Court government was especially criticised by the forum for its lack of consultation on the bill. Community groups were given a scant one week's notice of it.
Speakers included Carolyn Tan, from law firm Dwyer Durack, social analyst Richard Eckersley speaking on the crisis of Western culture and academic Howard Sercombe speaking on crime and punishment. In particular, the speakers addressed the question of the more fundamental changes in attitudes that were needed to overcome juvenile crime, especially by confronting issues of youth alienation.