Last updated 27 August 2026.
If your child has been charged with a serious offence in Queensland, the sentencing consequences may now be considerably different from what they were before December 2024. Queensland’s “Adult Crime, Adult Time” scheme means children convicted of certain serious offences can be subject to the same adult maximum, minimum and mandatory penalties. It has expanded more than once since it started, and understanding whether it applies to your situation matters.
Key Takeaways
- Adult Crime, Adult Time is a Queensland sentencing scheme contained primarily in section 175A of the Youth Justice Act 1992.
- It means children convicted of specified serious offences can be liable to the same maximum, minimum and mandatory penalties that apply to adults.
- As at August 2026, the scheme covers 47 offences.
- The scheme was introduced in December 2024 and expanded further in May 2025 and April 2026.
- It doesn’t mean every child convicted of a listed offence automatically receives the maximum adult sentence. The court still determines the appropriate sentence within that framework.
- The offence charged and the date it was committed can affect whether Adult Crime, Adult Time applies at all.
What Is Adult Crime, Adult Time in Queensland?
Adult Crime, Adult Time isn’t a separate criminal offence. It’s a sentencing scheme that applies once a child has been convicted of one of the offences listed in section 175A of the Youth Justice Act 1992. Where it applies, the same maximum, minimum and mandatory penalties that would apply to an adult convicted of the same offence also apply to the child.
This is an important distinction. Adult Crime, Adult Time doesn’t mean a child is treated as an adult for every aspect of the criminal justice process. The Youth Justice Act continues to govern youth proceedings, subject to the specific changes made by the reforms.
When Were the Adult Crime, Adult Time Laws Introduced?
The scheme has expanded in three main stages so far. The Making Queensland Safer Act 2024 commenced on assent on 13 December 2024, making children liable to adult penalties for 13 specified offences.
The Making Queensland Safer (Adult Crime, Adult Time) Amendment Act 2025 commenced on assent on 23 May 2025, adding a further 20 offences and bringing the total to 33.
The 2026 reforms expanded the scheme further. The relevant Adult Crime, Adult Time provisions of the Expanding Adult Crime, Adult Time and Taking a Strong Stance on Drugs and Anti-Social Behaviour Amendment Act 2026 commenced on 30 April 2026, adding 12 more offences and extending the scheme to general attempts, conspiracies and accessories after the fact to an Adult Crime, Adult Time offence, along with the standalone offence of robbery simpliciter. Two further weapons offences were also added in 2026 through the separate Fighting Antisemitism and Keeping Guns out of the Hands of Terrorists and Criminals Amendment Act 2026. As at August 2026, the scheme covers 47 offences in total.
The commencement date of each stage matters. Each expansion applies to offences committed on or after that stage’s commencement date, not retrospectively, so the date of the alleged offending can be critical to whether Adult Crime, Adult Time applies to a particular matter at all.
What Offences Are Covered by Adult Crime, Adult Time?
As at August 2026, Queensland Government material states that Adult Crime, Adult Time applies to 47 offences. The offences are set out in section 175A of the Youth Justice Act 1992, including specific circumstances and statutory extensions for certain attempts, conspiracies and accessories after the fact.
Homicide and Serious Violence
- Murder (ss 302, 305)
- Manslaughter (ss 303, 310)
- Attempted murder (s 306)
- Accessory after the fact to murder (s 307)
- Conspiring to murder (s 309)
- Assaulting a pregnant person, causing death, grievous bodily harm, or transmitting a serious disease to the unborn child (s 313(2))
- Unlawful striking causing death (s 314A)
- Acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm and other malicious acts (s 317)
- Torture (s 320A)
Assault and Domestic Violence Offences
- Grievous bodily harm (s 320)
- Wounding (s 323)
- Serious assault (s 340)
- Aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm (s 339)
- Going armed so as to cause fear (s 69)
- Threatening violence (s 75)
- Choking, suffocation or strangulation in a domestic setting (s 315A)
- Unlawful stalking, intimidation, harassment or abuse
- Abuse of persons with an impairment of the mind (s 216)
- Disabling a person in order to commit an indictable offence (s 315)
- Stupefying a person in order to commit an indictable offence (s 316)
- Administering poison with intent to harm (s 322)
- Aiding suicide (s 311)
- Endangering the safety of a person in a vehicle with intent (s 319)
Sexual Offences
- Rape (s 349)
- Attempted rape (s 350)
- Assault with intent to commit rape (s 351)
- Sexual assault, in specified circumstances including where armed, in company, involving penetration, or involving any part of the mouth (s 352)
- Indecent treatment of a child under 16 (s 210)
Robbery, Burglary and Property Offences
- Robbery (ss 409, 411)
- Attempted robbery, in specified circumstances including where armed, in company, or with violence (s 412)
- Burglary (s 419)
- Entering or being in premises and committing an indictable offence (s 421)
- Kidnapping (s 354)
- Kidnapping for ransom (s 354A)
- Deprivation of liberty (s 355)
- Riot, in specified circumstances (s 61(1))
Dangerous Driving and Motor Vehicle Offences
- Dangerous operation of a vehicle (s 328A)
- Unlawful use or possession of motor vehicles, aircraft or vessels (s 408A)
- Unlawful entry of a motor vehicle for committing an indictable offence (s 427)
- Stealing, where the circumstance involves a vehicle or a firearm for use in another indictable offence (s 398, items 12 or 14)
- Damaging an emergency vehicle when operating a motor vehicle (s 328C)
- Endangering a police officer when driving a motor vehicle (s 328D)
Drug Offences
- Trafficking in dangerous drugs (Drugs Misuse Act 1986, s 5)
Weapons and Other Serious Offences
- Arson (s 461)
- Endangering particular property by fire (s 462)
- Reckless discharge of a weapon towards a building or vehicle (Weapons Act 1990, s 56A)
- Possession and distribution of blueprint material for the manufacture of firearms (Weapons Act 1990, s 67A)
The scheme also extends to relevant attempts under Criminal Code section 535, conspiracies under sections 541 and 542, and accessories after the fact under section 544, where the underlying offence is one of those listed above. This extension is not counted as a separate offence within the 47.
Some offences are included only where particular statutory circumstances are present. The scheme does not necessarily apply to every form of an offence simply because the offence appears in the relevant Criminal Code section. The precise charge and circumstances therefore matter.
What Does “Adult Time” Actually Mean?
Where Adult Crime, Adult Time applies, a child convicted of one of the listed offences can be liable to the same maximum penalty, minimum penalty and mandatory penalty that would apply to an adult convicted of the same offence. That’s a significant shift from the traditional youth sentencing approach, which generally applied lower maximum penalties to children.
This doesn’t automatically mean a child receives the maximum available adult sentence. The sentencing court still determines the appropriate sentence within that legislative framework, taking into account the relevant sentencing considerations and any mandatory requirements that apply. Being subject to an adult maximum penalty and actually receiving that maximum penalty are two different things.
A few examples show the scale of the shift. For murder, a child now faces mandatory life detention with a non-parole period of 20 years, doubled from 10 years under the previous youth sentencing approach. Where manslaughter and other acts causing grievous bodily harm are involved, the maximum penalty doubled from 7 years to 14 years. For robbery, the maximum increased from 7 years to 14 years, and can extend to life detention with a minimum non-parole period of 15 years where the offence involved being armed, in company, or with violence or wounding.
How Has the Youth Justice Act Changed?
Adult Crime, Adult Time came with several other significant changes to how the Youth Justice Act operates, beyond the specific penalties involved:
- Detention as a last resort is no longer a sentencing principle a court must consider for these offences.
- The principle that a non-custodial order is better than detention for a child’s reintegration has also been removed.
- The impact of offending on victims is now a primary consideration when a court sentences a child.
- A child’s full criminal history, including cautions, restorative justice agreements and breaches of orders, can now be taken into account, and can remain admissible for up to five years after sentencing, including once the person is sentenced as an adult.
- Restorative justice orders are no longer available as a sentencing option for these prescribed offences.
- Maximum probation periods have been extended from two years to three.
- Offenders who turn 18 are now transferred to adult correctional facilities within one month, regardless of whether they’re on remand or sentenced.
What Does Adult Crime, Adult Time Mean for a Child Who Has Been Charged?
Being charged with an Adult Crime, Adult Time offence is not the same as being convicted of it. The prosecution still has to prove the alleged offence, and a child charged under this scheme retains the same rights available in any criminal proceeding, including the right to have the charge properly tested.
Where a charge does fall within the scheme, the potential implications can include substantially greater sentencing exposure if convicted, mandatory or minimum penalties for some offences, a real risk of lengthy detention for the most serious matters, bail considerations that are more complex than they would otherwise be, and long-term consequences that can follow from a serious criminal conviction.
If you’re trying to understand what bail actually involves in a matter like this, that’s covered separately in our guide on bail in Queensland. The exact offence charged matters, since different offences, from burglary and sexual offences through to dangerous operation of a vehicle, can carry materially different sentencing consequences.
What does an Adult Crime, Adult Time charge mean for your child?
The specific offence and its circumstances can make a real difference to what’s possible from here. Contact me on (07) 5619 6860 or 0409 273 430 to talk through where the matter stands.
Why Is It Important to Get a Criminal Lawyer Involved Early?
Legal representation isn’t only relevant once a matter reaches sentencing. Early advice allows a lawyer to assess the prosecution evidence, identify possible defences, and examine whether the charge police or the prosecution actually selected is supported by the evidence, since the difference between two similar-sounding charges can significantly affect sentencing exposure under this scheme. From there, a lawyer can negotiate on charges where appropriate and start preparing the defence from an early stage, rather than only once the matter is closer to being resolved.
Has your child been charged with a serious offence?
If an Adult Crime, Adult Time offence may be involved, early advice can genuinely change what’s possible later. Contact me on (07) 5619 6860 or 0409 273 430 before important decisions are made.
How Can Michael McMillan Help With Serious Youth Criminal Charges?
I act for young people and families facing serious criminal charges in Queensland. That includes analysing the prosecution evidence, advising on plea and defence options, handling bail applications, negotiating with the prosecution where appropriate, representing clients in court, and preparing sentencing submissions where a plea or conviction results.
I’m based on the Gold Coast and represent clients in criminal matters across Queensland, including Brisbane, Ipswich, Cairns, Mackay and Townsville.
How Do the New Bail Laws Relate to Adult Crime, Adult Time?
Queensland’s proposed “Breach Bail, Go to Jail” reforms are separate from Adult Crime, Adult Time, but the two are connected. The proposed new offence is tied to offending already captured by the Adult Crime, Adult Time framework, meaning it’s relevant specifically where someone commits one of these offences while already on bail.
As announced, the proposal would carry its own 12-month mandatory minimum sentence, on top of whatever consequences follow from the underlying charge itself. It’s still a proposal, not enacted law, so the precise detail depends on the legislation once it’s introduced and passed. We explain what that proposal actually means, and how it differs from an ordinary bail breach, in our separate guide to Queensland’s Breach Bail, Go to Jail laws.
Adult Crime, Adult Time: What Parents and Young People Need to Know
These are significant sentencing reforms, and they’ve expanded more than once since December 2024. Being charged with a listed offence is not the same as being convicted of it, and the precise offence, the evidence, and the individual circumstances all matter to what happens next.
Early advice gives a young person and their family a genuine understanding of the case and the options actually available to them. If your child has been charged with a serious offence in Queensland, contact me on (07) 5619 6860 or 0409 273 430 for advice before important decisions are made.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Adult Crime, Adult Time mean in Queensland?
It’s a sentencing scheme under section 175A of the Youth Justice Act 1992 that makes children convicted of specified serious offences liable to the same maximum, minimum and mandatory penalties that apply to adults.
How many offences are covered by Adult Crime, Adult Time?
As at August 2026, the scheme covers 47 offences, added in stages since December 2024.
Does Adult Crime, Adult Time mean a child automatically goes to jail?
No. Being subject to an adult maximum penalty doesn’t mean the maximum is automatically imposed. The court still determines the appropriate sentence within that framework, though mandatory or minimum penalties do apply for some offences.
What age does Adult Crime, Adult Time apply to?
It applies to children dealt with under the Youth Justice Act 1992, generally those aged 10 to 17 at the time of the alleged offending, who are convicted of one of the specified offences.
Can a child receive life detention under Adult Crime, Adult Time?
For some of the most serious offences, such as murder, yes, life detention with a mandatory non-parole period is possible. The exact outcome depends on the offence and the individual circumstances of the case.
When did Queensland’s Adult Crime, Adult Time laws start?
The scheme commenced on 13 December 2024, and was expanded further on 23 May 2025 and again on 30 April 2026.
Does Adult Crime, Adult Time apply to offences committed before the laws changed?
Generally, no. Each stage of the scheme applies to offences committed on or after its commencement date, which is why the date of the alleged offending can be critical to a particular matter.
This article is general information only. It is not legal advice and does not account for your specific circumstances. Being charged with an offence is not the same as being convicted of it, and this is a developing area of Queensland law, so get advice about your specific situation before relying on anything here.