Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 accused of crimes fall under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). It is very important that you choose a lawyer who understands these special cases if your son or daughter is accused of a crime.

Youth Criminal Justice Act provides young people with special rights and focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration.

In accordance with the YCJA, police and Crown attorneys must respect the rights of young people. The Youth Crimes Prevention Act, for example, requires that any statement made by a young person to the police must be made in the presence of his or her lawyer and a parent or other appropriate adult chosen by the young person unless the young person expressly states otherwise. The lawyers at SC Criminal Defence may challenge the police’s right to take a statement if they have not respected these rights.

Youth Court Justice Act is designed to keep children out of the justice system and out of jail. There are a number of extrajudicial and alternative measures that allow young people to repair the damage without having to go through a court process. According to the law, young people shall not be jailed except in the case of exceptional circumstances, where a court finds there is no other reasonable alternative. In addition, the YCJA’s main objective is to rehabilitate and reintegrate young people back into society.