NCJ Number
134156
Journal
Lay Panel Magazine Volume: 26 Dated: (September 1991) Pages: 6-9
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This report explains the juvenile justice portions of the British Criminal Justice Bill which is pending in the British Parliament.
Abstract
The most significant change under the bill is the renaming of the juvenile court as the youth court and the extension of its jurisdiction to include 17-year-olds. This will substantially increase the court's workload. The youth court will operate under the new structure created by the bill. The bill places new restrictions on the use of custodial sentences for offenders of all ages. The primary criterion for using a custodial sentence and for determining its length will be the seriousness of the offense. Two new system of unit fines that the bill introduces will also apply to young offenders. There is a statutory requirement that all young offenders released from custody be supervised for a set period. Overall, 16-and 17-year-olds will be regarded as a distinct group within the youth court, and courts will have a much wider range of sentencing options for this group than for any other age group. Sentencing options will include both those that are available for juveniles and for adults. Slide illustrations are included.