Recent legislation has made major changes to the treatment of young offenders and the operation of the youth justice system. This text offers a clear statement of the law, practice and procedures regulating the Youth Court and young offenders. The significant reforms introduced by the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 are taken into account, and the changes in the law brought about by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 are examined. These include two new orders for the sentencing of young offenders - reparation orders and action plan orders - as well as changes to the procedure for existing orders. The book also tackles local child curfew schemes, child safety orders and the requirement of local authorities to establish young offending teams overseen by a new body, The Youth Justice Board. The implications of recent European Court of Human Rights decisions in the Bulger case are also fully explored.

Table of Contents

Part 1 General considerations: introduction; the context and policy background; the aim of the youth justice system; Human Rights Act 1998. Part 2 Investigation and pre-trial powers: the capacity of a child or young person to commit crime - "doli incapax"; police powers; discretion to prosecute; detention time-limits. Part 3 Trial of offences. Part 4 Youth offender contracts: introduction; referral to the youth offender panel. Part 5 Sentences - community orders: introduction; supervision orders; attendance centre orders; action plan orders; duty of magistrates' court to remit cases to the youth court. Part 6 Sentences - custodial sentences: introduction; detention and training orders; the position in respect of the conviction of an offender already subject to an order. Part 7 Miscellaneous powers and provisions.