A growing movement led by a coalition of lawyers, doctors and Aboriginal rights activists is pushing for Australia to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14.
Last month the nation's top law officials deferred a long-awaited decision on raising the age until 2021, saying they needed more time to explore alternatives to incarceration.
But on Thursday the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) voted to increase the age to 14 - the first jurisdiction to edge towards changing the law - a step campaigners hope they’ll take and the rest of the country will follow.
So why is this such an issue in Australia? Here's what you need to know.
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