Young Offenders

What is a 'juvenile'?

A juvenile is somebody who is aged 16 or under. A youth is somebody who is aged 17.

My child has been arrested - what extra rights do they have?

If your child is arrested they do have certain extra rights. One of the most common rights for young offenders is the right to have an adult present at the police station. However, in order for that right to be exercised the child must be aged 16 or under. The adult that is present at the police station will have to be present for certain procedures, the most common of which is a police interview. Appropriate adults are normally parents or guardians of the child, aged 18 or over.

What is an ASBO?

An ASBO is an anti-social behavior order. An ASBO can be imposed by the courts if someone has acted anti-socially. The order itself can impose certain conditions on you. Conditions of an ASBO could be that you're excluded from a particular area, for example, or excluded from particular actions.

What is a 'curfew order'?

A curfew order is a sentence that is imposed by the court. It is a sentence that imposes a curfew upon you, i.e. you have to be indoors between certain times.

What is a Youth Court?

A youth court is the equivalent of a magistrate's court for young offenders who are aged 17 or under. However, in certain circumstances, for example where you are charged with an adult, youths would appear at the magistrate's court rather than a youth court.