Youth Justice Act 2024

There is a presumption in favour of proceeding by summons if an accused is a child, unless it would be clearly inappropriate to do so.

Without limiting subsection (1), if a police officer decides to commence a criminal proceeding against a child for an alleged offence in accordance with the hierarchy of options, the police officer must proceed by summons, unless it would be clearly inappropriate to do so.

In deciding whether it would be clearly inappropriate to proceed by summons under subsection (2), the police officer must have regard to each of the following matters—

the nature and seriousness of the alleged offending;

the number, frequency and nature of findings of guilt or convictions (if any) in respect of the child;

any previous conduct of the child relevant to the alleged offending, including but not limited to whether the child has acknowledged responsibility or shown remorse for their behaviour;

any harm caused to the victim (if any) of the alleged offending;

whether the child presents a serious risk to community safety.

Despite anything to the contrary in section 12 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2009, on the filing of a charge-sheet against a child, a registrar must not issue a warrant to arrest in the first instance, unless satisfied by sworn or affirmed evidence (whether oral or by affidavit) that the circumstances are exceptional.