Back to explore
Justice Matrix · Case profile

WA Unit 18 Casuarina Inquiry 2022

Australia (National)2022
AdverseHigh precedent
Facts

What happened

Children, some as young as 14, were held in Unit 18 of the adult Casuarina Prison in Western Australia. This occurred after the Banksia Hill detention centre was deemed unfit to house them. These children were subjected to maximum security conditions alongside adult prisoners, leading to significant concerns about their welfare and rights, and prompting an urgent intervention from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Key holding

What the court decided

Investigation into children being held in Unit 18 of adult Casuarina Prison after Banksia Hill was declared unfit. Children as young as 14 held alongside adult prisoners in maximum security conditions. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child issued urgent intervention.

Authorities

Statutes and cases cited

Statutes & treaties
  • § Convention on the Rights of the Child art. 37
  • § Convention on the Rights of the Child art. 40
  • § Young Offenders Act 1994 (WA)
  • § Prisons Act 1981 (WA)
Issue areas

Categories

banksia-hillchildren-in-adult-prisonun-interventionwa
Disclaimer and licence

This is a research and reference resource, not legal advice. Summaries are prepared from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always read the original judgment or document and consult a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction before acting.

Narrative summaries on this page are licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Reuse them with attribution to JusticeHub for non-commercial purposes. Original judgments and source documents remain under their own terms; follow the authoritative link for the source of record.