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Scotland's first Youth Court opens
02/06/2003
Scotland's first Youth Court, a two-year pilot based at
Hamilton Sheriff Court, becomes operational from today.
It is designed to tackle the problem of persistent young
offenders by providing a fast-track court procedure to deal
with 16-17 year old offenders and in certain circumstances,
and also some 15 year olds.
The Youth Court introduces:
- A fast-track process to deal with the young
offenders
- Four designated sheriffs for the youth court,
sitting on a rotational basis
- Community disposals specifically designed for the
young offender
Minister for Justice Cathy Jamieson described it as as a
pioneering initiative which will target youth crime and
help make communities safer.
She said:
"I am delighted that Scotland's first Youth Court is up
and running, and at the opportunity it presents to tackle
offending behaviour and make communities safer.
"Reducing youth crime is one of our biggest priorities
and the Youth Court scheme will contribute to meeting this
challenge in an innovative and effective way.
"The Youth Court will create a more efficient and
effective system to deal with the problem of persistent
offending by young people, reducing the time taken from the
offence being committed to appearance in court.
"The Youth Court will also benefit from access to a
wider range of community programmes, education, training
and employment opportunities as well as support for those
with problems such as alcohol and drug dependence.
"While punishment is a key part of the youth justice
process, the problems that lead to crimes being committed
in the first place will also be addressed. We are dealing,
in the main, with a minority of young people whose
persistent offending and other personal circumstances make
a robust intervention such as this necessary. I look
forward to following the progress of the scheme as it
further develops."
The Youth Court Feasibility Group, chaired by Sheriff
John McInnes QC, reported to the Deputy First Minister Jim
Wallace at the end of December 2002. It concluded that the
establishment of a pilot youth court was feasible under
existing primary legislation.
The Executive is providing the additional resources
necessary to support the work of the Youth Court in
Hamilton, covering police, social work, courts service,
legal aid prosecution service and evaluation costs.
The fast-track court procedure will cover offences
committed within the jurisdiction of Hamilton Sheriff Court
- including Bellshill, Blantyre, East Kilbride, Hamilton,
Larkhall, Motherwell and Wishaw and will target repeat
offenders in the 16-17 year age group.
Under the fast track process, young offenders will make
their first appearance before the Court within no more than
ten days from the date of charge and, in most cases, by
seven days.
The Youth Court will target all 16 and 17 year olds with
a history of having offended three or more times within the
previous six months. There will be some flexibility to deal
with 15 year old offenders.
Four designated sheriffs will preside on a rotational
basis. They will have the same range and powers of sentence
as any other sheriff sitting in a Sheriff summary court.
Unlike traditional courts, the offender will be subject to
regular court reviews of their progress and will normally
be seen by the same sheriff throughout the process. This
will ensure the young offender is dealt with consistently
by those who are be familiar with their background and
circumstances.
The Court will also benefit from access to a wider and
more intensive range of community programmes, such as
community service orders, electronic monitoring and drug
treatment and testing orders. There will also be enhanced
intervention programmes that have been specifically
designed for this young offender age group and which will
help combat offending behaviour.
The pilot will be subject to a full and comprehensive
evaluation by external researchers.