Youth Justice Act 2024
498Use of reasonable force for unclothed searches must be authorised
Start here
Get a plain-English read of 498
Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Youth Justice Act 2024.
498 Use of reasonable force for unclothed searches must be authorised
(1) A youth justice custodial officer must not use reasonable force to carry out an unclothed search unless the use of force is authorised by the Commissioner for Youth Justice.
(2) The Commissioner for Youth Justice may only authorise the use of force to carry out an unclothed search as a last resort if it is necessary to prevent or respond to a serious and immediate threat to the safety of the child or young person or any other person.
(3) The youth justice custodial officer may only use as much force as is reasonably necessary to conduct the unclothed search.
Division 5 and sections 521 and 523 apply to any use of force by a youth justice custodial officer under this Part.