Disparity in sentences between adult and juvenile co-offenders arising solely or primarily from the application of different legislative schemes (Penalties and Sentences Act vs Juvenile Justice Act) will not give rise to a justifiable sense of grievance. The parity principle may persuade a sentencing judge to sentence an adult co-offender at the lower end of the appropriate range, but it should not lead to a juvenile's sentence being increased beyond the least time justified. Where a juvenile offender has exceptional mitigating circumstances including mental illness, youth, strong rehabilitation prospects, and supportive victim-parents, the 'least time justified' requirement under the Juvenile Justice Act mandates a sentence at the lower end of the range even for grave offences.
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