Attorney general Michelle Rowland helps legal fight for children wrongly deemed adult people smugglers by Australian police
The federal attorney general, Michelle Rowland, has used her mercy powers to help two Indonesian children overturn a miscarriage of justice. The boys, aged 15, were among hundreds of Indonesian children who were found on asylum seeker boats between 2010 and 2012 and wrongly deemed adult people smugglers by Australian police.

Briefing Summary
AI-generatedThe federal attorney general, Michelle Rowland, has used her mercy powers to help two Indonesian children overturn a miscarriage of justice. The boys, aged 15, were among hundreds of Indonesian children who were found on asylum seeker boats between 2010 and 2012 and wrongly deemed adult people smugglers by Australian police. This error led to their wrongful imprisonment in maximum-security jails in Western Australia, before they were quietly released and sent back to Indonesia. The boys' cases highlight a significant mistake made by Australian authorities at the time. Rowland's intervention aims to provide justice for these two individuals, who suffered from a serious error in the legal process. Her actions demonstrate her commitment to ensuring fairness and accuracy in the administration of justice.
Article analysis
Model · rule-basedKey claims
4 extractedThe federal attorney general has used her mercy powers to pave the way for two Indonesian children to overturn a miscarriage of justice.
The boys, both aged 15, were among hundreds of Indonesian children found on asylum seeker boats between 2010 and 2012.
Errors led to boys aged as young as 13 going to adult maximum-security jails in WA.
Attorney general Michelle Rowland helps legal fight for children wrongly deemed adult people smugglers.