Knife crime involving young people has been front of mind in Queensland since the death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley in Surfers Paradise in 2019. His death led to a community push for stronger prevention measures, especially in the places where teenagers and young adults spend nights out with friends. That campaign resulted in Jack’s Law, a set of powers that allow police to use handheld metal detectors, known as “wanding”, in public spaces to detect weapons.

In 2025 the Queensland Parliament made Jack’s Law permanent and expanded it across the state. For young people, parents and venues, it has changed what “a safe night out” looks like, from the Gold Coast to regional town centres.

This guide explains what Jack’s Law does, how it is meant to protect young people, and what concerns have been raised about how it is used.

The story behind Jack’s Law

Jack Beasley was 17 when he was fatally stabbed during a night out with friends in Surfers Paradise in 2019. His parents, Brett and Belinda, began campaigning for stronger knife laws and more proactive police powers to stop young people carrying weapons into nightlife areas.

Their advocacy is described in detail on the Jack Beasley Foundation’s overview of Jack’s Law. The foundation explains how a two-year “wanding” trial in the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Safe Night Precincts began in 2021. Police used handheld metal detectors to scan people entering these precincts and seized 266 weapons during the trial period (one every 2 or 3 days).

The trial was later expanded to all 15 Safe Night Precincts across Queensland and to public transport, including stations and vehicles. These measures, and the community support behind them, formed the basis of what became known as Jack’s Law.

What is Jack’s Law in Queensland?

Jack’s Law refers to amendments to the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act that give police specific powers to:

• Use handheld metal detectors to “wand” people for knives and other weapons
• Do so without a warrant in defined “relevant places”
• Seek authorisation from a senior officer to use wands in other public places when needed

The most recent changes are set out in the explanatory notes for the Police Powers and Responsibilities (Making Jack’s Law Permanent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.

Where police can use wanding powers

Under Jack’s Law, police may conduct wanding in any location defined as a “relevant place”. These areas were chosen because they consistently show higher rates of weapon possession, youth congregation and incidents that escalate quickly. Understanding each category helps explain how the law functions in day to day environments.

Safe Night Precincts

Safe Night Precincts are designated entertainment districts that attract large crowds, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. These locations have a documented history of knife related assaults, alcohol related fights and group conflicts. However, in Brisbane for example, the Safe NIght Precincts essentially make all of the CBD and Fortitude Valley a ‘safe night precinct’.

Licensed premises

Licensed venues such as nightclubs, pubs and bars frequently become hotspots for youth related disturbances. Many patrons entering these venues are between 18 and 25, which overlaps with the age bracket most commonly involved in knife possession incidents.

Shopping centres and retail premises

Shopping centres are recognised gathering points for teenagers, especially after school and during school holidays.

Sporting and entertainment venues

These events involve tight queuing, crowded seating and large volumes of movement, which heighten the risk of hidden weapons being used during disputes.

Public transport stations and vehicles

Transport hubs are among the most common locations for youth weapon related incidents. Busways, train stations and ferry terminals provide predictable movement patterns that make them suitable for targeted wanding operations. Police report that knives used in assaults are often carried on public transport before incidents occur at nearby precincts.

In these places police can use wands without a warrant and, after recent changes, without first seeking separate authorisation from a senior officer.

Outside these locations, police can use wands in other public places if a senior officer authorises it for a defined operation, such as a targeted response to recent knife incidents in a town centre.

What does wanding involve?

Wanding is meant to be a quick, contact-free scan. The device is passed over clothing to detect metal objects. The Jack Beasley Foundation notes that scans typically take one or two minutes and do not involve physical contact.

If the device detects something and an officer reasonably suspects it is a weapon, police can ask the person to produce the item and may carry out a further search if necessary.

How Jack’s Law is meant to protect young people

Jack’s Law is framed by the government as a youth safety measure. It is designed to reduce the number of weapons being carried into spaces where teenagers and young adults gather.

Weapons seized and charges laid

Since the statewide rollout of Jack’s Law, Queensland Police have reported large numbers of scans and weapon seizures. Reports that between April 2, 2023 and June 5, 2025 police conducted about 116,000 scans and seized 1,100 weapons under the law, resulting in more than 3,000 offenders being charged with weapons, drug and other offences. This represents only a 0.009% rate of success.

The Jack Beasley Foundation states that, by January 2025, more than 1,234 knives and other dangerous weapons had been taken off the streets under Jack’s Law.

Deterrence as a safety strategy

Supporters of Jack’s Law argue that visibility is part of the safety effect. Knowing that police can and do use wands in nightlife and transport hubs is intended to discourage young people from carrying knives “just in case” or to show off among friends.

In this view, every teenager who decides to leave a knife at home because wanding is likely has already contributed to a safer environment, even if they would never have used the weapon.

Safeguards, rights and concerns

Stronger police powers always attract scrutiny, especially when they allow searches without a warrant or specific suspicion.

Reporting and oversight

The explanatory notes for the Making Jack’s Law Permanent Bill describe a framework that includes:

• Requirements for the Police Commissioner to report annually on how often wanding powers are used, how many people are scanned and how many weapons are detected
• Ongoing use of body-worn cameras by frontline officers
• Defined categories of places where warrantless wanding can occur

Some earlier requirements, such as issuing written notices to people being scanned and publishing detailed online notices for each wanding authority, have been removed to reduce administrative burden.

Human rights and discrimination concerns

Legal and human rights experts have questioned whether Jack’s Law strikes the right balance between safety and civil liberties, particularly for young people from marginalised communities.

The Queensland Human Rights Commission has warned that handheld scanners used without a warrant or reasonable suspicion place substantial limits on rights to privacy, equality and freedom of movement, and recommended further independent review before making the law permanent.

These critiques do not argue against youth safety. They focus on how safety is pursued, and whether heavy reliance on police searches, without complementary measures, might have unintended harms.

Why “self-defence” is not accepted

Some young people carry knives or similar items because they think it makes them safer when they feel at risk. Police, courts and youth advocates consistently warn that carrying a knife increases the chance that an argument or attempted robbery turns into a stabbing. Under Jack’s Law, claiming you had a knife for self-defence will not protect you from being charged with a weapons offence.

Talking clearly with teenagers about this point is important. The safest option in Queensland’s current legal setting is not to carry a knife at all.

What it means for parents and carers

For parents, guardians and carers, Jack’s Law aims to provide reassurance but signals that more conversations about risk are needed.

Using Jack’s Law as a starting point for conversations

You can use Jack’s Law as a concrete example when you talk with teenagers about:

• Why carrying a knife creates legal and physical danger
• What will happen if police find a weapon during a wanding operation
• How to leave a situation where others are carrying weapons

Pointing to clear rules makes the message specific rather than abstract. For example, instead of saying “never carry a knife, it is dangerous”, you can say “if you carry a knife and police wand you, they will charge you, you will end up in court, and you will ruin your future”.

Planning safer nights out

Parents and young people can also take practical steps that complement what the law is trying to achieve:

• Plan transport so your teenager is not stranded late at night
• Agree on check-in times and locations after large events
• Encourage going out in small, trusted groups rather than following a crowd into poorly lit areas

Jack’s Law may reduce the number of weapons in public spaces, but family rules and planning still play a key role in keeping young people safe.

What it means for venues, schools and local communities

Jack’s Law also affects how venues, schools and community organisations manage safety for young people.

Venues and events

Operators of licensed venues, shopping centres and event spaces in Queensland know that their premises can be designated as relevant places and that police may carry out wanding operations with little notice.

This encourages:

• Clear house policies on weapons and aggressive behaviour
• Staff training on how to cooperate with police operations
• Visible messaging that weapons are not tolerated on the premises

Many youth-focused events now include pre-event communication explaining that police may be present and that weapons are banned, which aligns with Jack’s Law and sets expectations with attendees.

Schools and youth services

While Jack’s Law does not specifically target schools, many students move through public transport hubs and retail precincts covered by the law. Schools and youth services can:

• Explain how wanding works in practical terms
• Clarify that being wanded does not mean a student is in trouble
• Encourage students to report peers who are carrying knives so staff can respond early

This kind of education helps reduce fear and misunderstanding when teenagers see or experience wanding for the first time.