Young Offenders Act 1994

there should be special provision to ensure the fair treatment of young persons who have, or are alleged to have, committed offences; and

a young person who commits an offence is to be dealt with, either formally or informally, in a way that encourages the young person to accept responsibility for his or her conduct; and

a young person who commits an offence is not to be treated more severely because of the offence than the person would have been treated if an adult; and

the community must be protected from illegal behaviour; and

victims of offences committed by young persons should be given the opportunity to participate in the process of dealing with the offenders to the extent that the law provides for them to do so; and

responsible adults should be encouraged to fulfil their responsibility for the care and supervision of young persons, and supported in their efforts to do so; and

consideration should be given, when dealing with a young person for an offence, to the possibility of taking measures other than judicial proceedings for the offence if the circumstances of the case and the background of the alleged offender make it appropriate to dispose of the matter in that way and it would not jeopardise the protection of the community to do so; and

detaining a young person in custody for an offence, whether before or after the person is found to have committed the offence, should only be used as a last resort and, if required, is only to be for as short a time as is necessary; and

detention of a young person in custody, if required, is to be in a facility that is suitable for a young person and at which the young person is not exposed to contact with any adult detained in the facility, although a young person who has reached the age of 16 years may be held in a prison for adults but is not to share living quarters with an adult prisoner; and

punishment of a young person for an offence should be designed so as to give the offender an opportunity to develop a sense of social responsibility and otherwise to develop in beneficial and socially acceptable ways; and

a young person who is dealt with for an offence should be dealt with in a time frame that is appropriate to the young person’s sense of time; and

in dealing with a young person for an offence, the age, maturity, and cultural background of the offender are to be considered; and

a young person who commits an offence is to be dealt with in a way that —

strengthens the family and family group of the young person; and

fosters the ability of families and family groups to develop their own means of dealing with offending by their young persons; and

recognises the right of the young person to belong to a family.