Proposed new laws in the Australian state of Victoria that could see teenagers locked up for hanging out with convicted criminals have been criticised by civil liberties groups as "frightening".
The changes would amend existing anti-association laws aimed at preventing the growth of criminal networks. Under the current laws, adults can be handed anti-association notices by senior police officers if it's believed they've been fraternising with convicted criminals.
The new laws would make it easier for police to hand out these notices by extending the power to lower-ranked officers, and would also lower the age of people who can be given the notices from 18 to 14.
A teenager hanging out with a mate who has been convicted of a serious crime could be slapped with a notice, and if they don't comply, they could face fines or even prison.
Attorney-general Martin Pakula told Radio National Breakfast on Wednesday morning the changes were to "stop young people being sucked into a life of crime".
"[Police would] be able to issue a notice if they believed that young person was associating with people charged with a certain type of criminal offence, and it's about prevention as much as it is about anything else," he said.
He said the existing legislation carried exemptions, in place since 2015, that allow contact with family members, or in necessary school or work situations.
If the changes pass, anyone aged 14 and over, regardless of whether they themselves have a criminal record, could be given an anti-association notice.
The people named in those notices – the offenders people are warned against contacting – must have been convicted in the past decade. This applies unless they were convicted of a serious or sexual offence, which means they can be named in a notice at any time regardless of when the conviction happened.
If the offender is a child, they can only be the subject of the notice if they were convicted of "one of a limited list of serious youth offences", according to the government.
A number of legal and human rights groups have criticised the proposed changes as an infringement on the "fundamental" right people have to associate and go about peacefully.
Liberty Victoria president Jessie Taylor said such laws have a "bad record", citing similar laws aimed at bikies in New South Wales and formerly in Queensland.
"In a year in which the Andrews government is facing the voters, it should be extremely careful about tampering with rights by bringing in frightening laws that lead to the 'crime' of guilt by association," she said.
"I hold grave concerns that powers like these would be used against particular groups in the community who already feel the impact of police powers much more than others, even when there is no hint of wrongdoing on their part."
Pakula said the changes carried safeguards to protect vulnerable groups, including children and Aboriginal people.
Anti-association notices issued against kids, Aboriginal people, or people with a disability expire after a year, instead of three years, and have to be approved by a senior police officer.