Youth Justice and Criminal Ecidence Act

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How did the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 change the sentencing process for young people? The 1999 Criminal Evidence Act was introduced for the following reasons; to provide for the referral of offenders under 18 to youth offender panels; to make provision in connection with the giving of evidence or information for the purposes of criminal proceedings; to amend section 51 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; to make pre-consolidation amendments relating to youth justice; and for connected purposes.’ [27th July 1999] The Act is about improving the effectiveness of the youth court and preventing offending by children and young people. This is now the principal aim of the youth justice system. Changes to the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act gave further reforms to the youth court, these changes created a new sentence of referral to a youth offender panel, known as a Referral Order. A Referral Order will be available for young people convicted for the first time and its primary aim is to prevent re-offending. The youth offender panel will work with the young offender to establish a programme of behaviour for the young offender to follow. The programme is restorative in nature and has three key aims: 1) Making restoration to the victim; 2) Achieving reintegration into the law-abiding community; 3) Taking responsibility for the consequences of offending behaviour. Before any kind of Referral Order can be made a young offender has to go through the court and sentencing process. Once they have been formally accused of committing an offence the offender will make their first appearance in the Youth Court unless; they are jointly charged with an adult; they are charged with aiding and abetting an adult or they are charged with an offense arising from the same circumstances as those in which an adult is accused of committing an

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