NCJ Number
166276
Date Published
1996
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article outlines Canada's legislative history with respect to adolescents who kill.
Abstract
Canada's Young Offenders Act applies to all young people who have been charged with any criminal offense between the ages of 12 and 17 years inclusive at the time of the alleged offense. The nation's approach to youth who murder has three major components: the sentence for murder in youth court; the procedure for transferring a young person's case to adult court; and the sentence and parole eligibility provisions where a youth is transferred and convicted of murder in an adult court. The author claims that the pressure communicated by many Canadians to their elected Members of Parliament to reform the Young Offenders Act is based in part on the failure to acknowledge two goals of the country's response to criminal behavior by youth: holding them accountable for their wrongdoing through a process that is fair and equitable; and contributing to safe, secure communities. The article includes statistical data on youth violence, characteristics of youth charged with homicide, a brief look at media coverage of adolescent violence, and a summary of the current law relating to young people who murder. Tables, endnotes