Holdout territory to reintroduce spit hoods for kids
The proposal is part of a suite of measures overhauling youth justice, to be debated in the Northern Territory parliament within days.
The Country Liberal Party government has vowed to table the legislation "on urgency" after a 15-year-old was stabbed and seriously injured in front of shocked onlookers at the Royal Darwin Show on Saturday.
A 15-year-old has been charged, with police alleging the teen knew the victim.
The NT Police Force confirmed in October that spit hoods had been made available to use on youths in police watch houses and cells, with strict protocols in place.
The proposed youth justice law changes would extend the use of the hoods to youth detention centres, reversing a ban imposed eight years ago.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Steve Edgington defended anti-spit guards in youth centres, saying they were already being used in adult settings.
"When young people come into custody that are spitting, biting their tongue and spitting blood at correctional officers, we want to ensure that our frontline staff are protected," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"We're hoping that we will never need to use these."
The CLP promised during last year's NT election to reintroduce spit hoods for youth detainees.
In 2016, an ABC Four Corners report into the NT's Don Dale Youth Detention Centre prompted outrage over the use of spit hoods and led to then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announcing a royal commission into juvenile justice in the territory.
The NT government subsequently stopped the use of spit hoods and restraint chairs in youth detention centres in 2017, following the federal government's formal endorsement of a United Nations protocol against torture and inhumane punishments.
In 2022, the use of spit hoods for youths in police custody was also banned by the then-NT Labor government.
NT Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk said the territory was the only Australian jurisdiction reverting to using spit hoods on children.
"This is against international law and is incredibly risky," she told the ABC.
"It has actually led to deaths in custody in other jurisdictions."
Other proposed legislative changes by the NT government include considering a youth's full criminal history when sentencing for adult offences and removing detention as a last resort.
Youth justice officers will have greater powers to use reasonable force to "maintain safety and prevent escapes".
Powers for the territory's commissioner to manage emergencies will also be expanded.
Opposition Leader Selena Uibo hit out at the youth crime overhaul, describing them as "rushed, knee-jerk laws".
The NT government committed a record $1.5 billion towards law and order in its May budget.
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