The NCYLC has been at the forefront of the campaign to repeal the mandatory sentencing laws of the Northern Territory and Western Australia for over four years. The NCYLC was one of the first national organisations to speak out against the laws in 1997. Since then, the Centre has played a central role in lobbying, informing inquiry and other parliamentary proceedings, rallying supporters and encouraging media reportage.
In 1999/2000 the NCYLC played a strategic role in lobbying for support for the Greens/Democrats/ALP co-sponsored private members' bill, the Human Rights (Mandatory Sentencing of Juvenile Offenders) Bill, to be introduced into Federal Parliament. The NCYLC also played an important consultancy role in advising the Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee Inquiry into mandatory sentencing. In collaboration with Defence for Children International (DCI), the Centre prepared an extensive submission to the Inquiry.
Following the tragic death in February 2000 of a 15-year-old boy detained in a Darwin detention centre for a mandatory sentencing offence, the NCYLC was at the forefront of political lobbying. It was instrumental in the growth of the media and public campaign calling for reform, regularly providing media comment on this issue.
Over the course of 2000 and 2001 the NCYLC continued to play an active role in campaigning against mandatory sentencing. This included assisting the Northern Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service in their submissions to the coronial inquest into the death of the 15-year-old person serving a period of mandatory detention in Darwin. In addition, the NCYLC provided a submission and gave evidence to the second Senate Committee Inquiry into mandatory sentencing, following the introduction of the second private members bill, the Human Rights (Mandatory Sentencing for Property Offences) Bill 2001.
The NCYLC has continued to monitor the effect of the implementation of diversionary programs in the Northern Territory since 2000, and its impact on the detention of young offenders.
In addition, the NCYLC has had input into reviews of mandatory sentencing and mandatory detention in Western Australia.
Together with many other children's rights advocates, the NCYLC celebrated the repealing of the Northern Territory's mandatory sentencing laws in October 2001, and will continue to campaign for the repealing of the laws in Western Australia.