Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber has backed the ability of the new “expert legal panel” to help improve law and order in the state.
Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber has backed the ability of the new “expert legal panel” to help improve law and order in the state.
By Catherine Strohfeldt
February 12, 2025 — 4.08pm
The Queensland government has unveiled its five-member “expert legal panel” advising on youth crime policies, which includes several high-ranking legal professionals, a former police officer, and a First Nations elder.
Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said the panel was “the best of the best across Queensland”, and would consult on future changes to the state government’s youth justice legislation.
“We have three members who have over 20 years’ experience in legal practice and over 43 years of law enforcement, a victims’ advocate, and an Indigenous elder,” Gerber said.
“I think that represents the breadth of Queensland.”
The panel is yet to meet, and its chair, barrister April Freeman, declined to comment on any matters it might discuss – including adding attempted murder to the list of eligible “adult time” offences, after a Coles worker was stabbed last month.
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“Understandably, there is considerable community concern about youth crime in Queensland,” Freeman said.
“At the bar, I have prosecuted juvenile offenders. I’ve also acted for juvenile offenders as their defence lawyer. I’ve seen both sides of the coin, and I can see what a vexed issue this is.”
The panel’s other members include victims’ advocacy expert Lyndy Atkinson, former police officer and barrister Douglas Wilson, former detective superintendent Robert Weir, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service chief executive and First Nations elder Randal Ross.
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Gerber said the group had been selected from more than 60 candidates, and she was unaware of any political or financial ties to the LNP.
“That’s not something that was considered, and there was a really robust selection process done,” Gerber said.
“I had nothing to do with that process, and out of that, we’ve got the best of the best.”
Gerber also announced that the government had begun work on its professional victims’ advocate service, launching consultations with key stakeholders this week.
“Our professional victims’ advocate service [is] today being co-designed with key stakeholders and victims to be able to deliver end-to-end support for the victims right through the process,” she said.
More to come
Catherine Strohfeldt is a reporter at Brisbane Times.Connect via Twitter or email.
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