Youth Flashcards
What is the definition of Adult?
In the context of criminal procedure and mode of trial, an ‘adult’ is any person aged 18 or over.
In the context of sentencing, ‘adult’ is sometimes used to mean those aged 21 or over, since it is at that age that an offender currently becomes liable to imprisonment
What is the definition of Child?
under the age of 14 years. The CYPA 1969, s. 70(1)
By the CYPA 1933, s. 107(1),
What is the definition of Young Person?
age 14-17
Can children under 10 be convicted of a criminal offence?
NO!
Can youth courts try indictable offences?
Yes
When must a child/young person be tried in the Crown Court?
When charged with
i) homicide (i.e. murder or manslaughter)
ii) firearms offence (over the age of 16)
When may a child/young person be tried in the CC?
Youth charged with a ‘grave crime’ s91 PCC(S)A 2000); AND
a. carrying at least 14 years’ imprisonment; or
b. one specified in s91 itself;
Are the Youth Courts public courts?
NO!
Who are the only persons permitted in the youth court?
(a) members of the court and court officials;
(b) parties to the case before the court and their legal representatives (lawyers cannot enter the courtroom if a case they are appearing in is not being dealt with at that time);
(c) witnesses and other persons directly concerned in that case (witnesses are allowed to remain in court once they have given evidence);
(d) bona fide representatives of news gathering or reporting organisations
(e) anyone else directly involved in the case (e.g., probation officers or social workers involved in the case); and
(f) such other persons as the court may specially authorise to be present.
Can the parent or guardian of the accused under 16 attend the court room?
the court MUST require the parent/guardian of the accused to attend with the youth at all stages of proceedings
unless and to the extent that the court is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to require such attendance, having regard to the circumstances of the case’
Can the parent or guardian of the accused aged 16+17 attend the court room?
the court may require the parent/guardian of the accused to attend with the youth at all stages of proceedings
‘Guardian’ definition?
any person who, in the opinion of the court, has for the time being ‘the care of the child or young person’
does ‘Parent’ include adopter of child?
yes!
What about when local authority has parental responsibility of the child?
their representative, rather than, or in certain cases as well as, the parent must (or may) be required to attend
Is the course of a trial in the youth court the same as the course of a trial in an adult magistrates’ court?
yes, essentially the same
can the words the words ‘conviction’ and ‘sentence’ are be used in connection with children and young people ?
NO!
Replaced with
the terms ‘finding of guilt’ and ‘order made on a finding of guilt’
Will the difference in terminology apply in proceedings against children and young people in adult magistrates’ court and crown court?
Adult magistrates’ court = YES
crown court = NO
Is the youth court intended to be less formal than in the adult magistrates’ court?
Yes
What are some differences between MC and youth court that is intended to make the youth court less form?
- the accused sits on a chair, not in a dock,
- usually has a parent or guardian sitting nearby
- the accused and any young witnesses are addressed by their first names
- the oath taken by witnesses is to ‘promise’ (not ‘swear’) to tell the truth
The presumption is that the first hearing for an accused aged under 18 will be at which court?
Youth Court
If the young person/child has been charged with homicide, which could must he be sent to for trial?
CC
If the young person/child has been charged with fire arms offence submit to mandatory minimum sentence of 3 years, which could must he be sent to for trial?
CC
If the young person/child had notice served in serious fraud or child case, which could must he be sent to for trial?
CC
If legally represented, does the youth/child have to be present during the court proceedings?
Yes
if the court considers that, because of the accused’s disorderly conduct before the court, it is not practicable for proceedings to be conducted in his or her presence, and the court considers that it should proceed in the absence of the accused.
If cases where the court considers that the proceedings should proceed in the absence of the youth/child accused, can the legal rep enter a plea on behalf of the accused?
YES!
the legal representative is invited to enter a plea on behalf of the accused (and an indication by the representative of an intended guilty plea is deemed to be a plea of guilty under s. 24B(2)(c)).
Youth courts: Proceedings under s. 24A or 24B can be adjourned. Where the accused is present, the adjournment may take the form of a remand, either in custody or on bail
Where an adult is charged with an indictable only offence & a person under 18 is charged jointly with an adult who has been sent for trial for the same or a related offence, when would the court send the youth/child to the CC?
‘if it considers it necessary in the interests of justice to do so’,
Assuming that the child or young person indicates an intention to plead not guilty, the court will invite representations from the prosecution and defence on the issue of whether or not it is ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ to send the child or young person to the Crown Court for trial.
When considering if it is ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ to send the child or young person to the Crown Court for trial, what balance should the court make?
- the justices must balance what may well be conflicting interests.
- On one hand, it is desirable that there should be a joint trial (to avoid prosecution witnesses having to give their evidence twice, to avoid the risk of inconsistent verdicts, and to avoid the risk of disparity in the sentences which are passed in the event of conviction). On the other hand, a child or young person may well find appearing in the Crown Court an unduly traumatic experience.
When considering if it is ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ to send the child or young person to the Crown Court for trial, what should the court consider?
-the age and maturity of the young defendant,
- the comparative culpability in relation to the offence and the previous convictions of the two
- whether the trial can be severed without either injustice or undue inconvenience to witnesses
younger the child or young person and the less serious the charge =
(when considering to send the child or young person to the Crown Court for trial)
the more reluctant the justices should be to send the accused to the Crown Court.
if it is alleged by the prosecution that the child or young person played only a minor role in the offence =
it is likely to be more appropriate to deal with him or her separately.
The guideline gives examples (at para. 2.12) of factors that should be considered when deciding whether it is in the interests of justice to send the child or young person to the Crown Court (rather than having a trial in the youth court):
whether separate trials will cause injustice to witnesses or to the case as a whole (bearing in mind the possibility of video recorded testimony under the YJCEA 1999, ss. 27 and 28);
the age of the child or young person (the younger the child or young person, the greater the desirability of trial in the youth court);
the age gap between the child or young person and the adult (a substantial gap in age militates in favour of the child or young person being tried in the youth court);
the lack of maturity of the child or young person;
the relative culpability of the child or young person compared with the adult and whether the alleged role played by the child or young person was minor;
the lack of previous convictions recorded against the child or young person.
After the case of a child or young person to the Crown Court (to be together with an adult), can the CC send it back to the youth court for trial?
No!
If the magistrates decide that it is necessary in the interests of justice for the child or young person to be tried in the CC, the CC cannot send the case back.
Which orders does the youth court have power to make?
(a) absolute discharge;
(b) conditional discharge;
(c) a fine (up to £1,000 for an offender who has attained the age of 14; up to £250 for one who has not: s. 123);
(d) requiring the offender’s parents to enter into a recognizance to exercise proper control over the offender (s. 376).
An adult magistrates’ court is also able to make a referral order under s. 84.
If these powers are not appropriate, the justices will remit the child or young person to the youth court to be sentenced (s. 25(4)).
If the case is one where, in the youth court, a referral order would be mandatory under s. 84, the adult magistrates’ court may, but is not obliged to, remit the case to the youth court (s. 25(5)(a)).
If, on the other hand, the child or young person pleads not guilty, the adult magistrates’ court may either try the accused or remit him or her for trial to the youth court (MCA 1980, s. 29(2)). In the absence of a good reason to the contrary (e.g. the prosecution wishing to offer no evidence), it is submitted that the child or young person should normally be remitted to the youth court for trial.
Where the child or young person is jointly charged with an adult who is to be tried summarily and child/youth indicate NG plea, who must try the youth/child?
adult court must try him or her