At Lawtons Solicitors, we understand how daunting this experience can be for children, as well as stressful for the parents or carers. We appreciate a different approach from adults is needed at this time and we will guide both our clients and their parents/carers through the Youth Court process.
Our specialist team of Youth Offences Solicitors ensure that our young clients understand exactly what is going on and what they can expect in court. We use clear language that they can relate to and understand, to ensure the best possible outcomes for our clients.
If our client is happy for us to do so, we involve parents and carers every step of the way but always with confidentiality in mind.
What is the Youth Court?
The Youth Court is designed to be informal with a bias towards prevention rather than punishment for young people between the age of 10 and 17, who have been charged with a criminal offence. The Youth Court has no jury and the public are not allowed in.
For very serious crimes (such as murder) or those where the youth is charged together with an adult, they may need to go to a Crown Court.
Youth Court Proceedings
The young person must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the Youth Court, together with their legal representation. The local Youth Justice Service will also be present on the day.
The offence will be read out and the youth will then give their plea of guilty or not guilty. After this, all the evidence from both sides is heard.
Learn more about how the Youth Justice System works here.
If the youth has pleaded guilty or has been found guilty by the court, a sentence is then given.
Sentencing
If found guilty or if guilty has been admitted, then a sentence will be imposed. There are a wide range of sentences available to children and young people, including community service or a possible custodial sentence. To determine this, a Pre-Sentence Report compiled by the Youth Justice Service will be considered by the Court.
The sentence imposed will be given on the day if this report is available and no further input is required. Alternatively, the youth may need to return to Youth Court at a later time to be sentenced. Meantime, they will be on remand and either kept in custody or permitted to return home on bail.
Read more about the sentencing guidelines for children and young people here.
Decision-Making Factors
The sentence given can depend on multiple factors, including:
- Whether the youth pleaded ‘guilty’
- Seriousness of the offence
- Age of the youth
- Prior offences
- Remorse shown
- Mitigating circumstances
Mitigating Circumstances
Circumstances, which may have led to the youth committing the crime are considered and these could include:
- Situation at home
- Events at school
- Problems concerning where they live
- Their health
Contact Us
The Youth Court and its laws differ considerably to laws pertaining to adults. Employing specialist youth solicitors that understand these differences and have experience of the Youth court help you to achieve the fairest outcome. Our team of advocates and support staff have a wealth of experience in this specialist area.
Lawtons Solicitors knows the impact a criminal record can have on a youth and the damaging consequences. First and foremost our objective is to prevent the youth from being charged with a criminal offence. Read more about the impact of youth convictions here.
For more information about the Youth Court, or advice on an individual case, please call us on 0333 577 0522 or email web@lawtonslaw.co.uk.
