This paper examines interactions between young people aged 10 to 13 years and the New South Wales (NSW) criminal justice system. It seeks to inform the current discussion on the minimum age of criminal responsibility by examining the number and nature of legal proceedings initiated against young people aged 10 to 13 years, the outcomes and penalties imposed by the NSW Children’s Court and the number of young people under 14 years of age held in youth detention.

“The involvement of young people aged 10 to 13 years in the NSW criminal justice system”, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, August 2024.