From the Childrens Act 1908 to today: Any progress for children in court?
Speech by Lord Justice Thomas
28/04/2009
Lord Justice Thomas hailed the “great achievement” of the Children’s Act 1908 - juvenile courts - and the key achievements in youth justice which have resulted from it.
He looked at improvements still to be made, including adapting questions to be suitable for a young witness or defendant and preventive measures to reduce the number of youth cases:
“There can be no doubt that we need to examine all aspects of the Youth Court critically to ensure that it provides a fair, yet firm, means of dealing with those who we cannot prevent from committing crimes when they are young.”