A Youth Court Update - Live at Your Desk

Introduction

The Youth Court is a very different place from the Adult Magistrates’ Court or the Crown Court. It has its own unusual procedures and sentencing powers and concepts which must be understood and are applicable only to children (10 - 13) and young people (14 - 17).

This session will bring you up to speed on all changes as well as covering important case law.

This virtual classroom seminar is a must for Crown Prosecutors, Defence Advocates, Legal Advisers to Magistrates and anyone who has dealings with the Youth Court.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive course will cover the following:

Jurisdiction, Allocation and Grave Crimes

• Dealing with serious offences; representations on the suitability or otherwise of the case being heard in the Youth Court by way of trial on serious offences
• Assisting the Youth Court with the powers of a Crown Court Judge in relation to the sentencing of Children (10 - 13) and Young People (14 - 17) - an important consideration in determining whether or not to accept jurisdiction
• Bail and remand

Dangerous Offenders and Powers of the Youth Court

• A working knowledge of the concept of dangerousness in the Youth Court
• Recent approaches taken by Court of Appeal in approaches to assessment of dangerousness for child offenders - R v TJ [2025]
• Possible committal for sentence to the Crown Court under Section 16 of the Sentencing Act 2020

Sentencing

• Youth Court maximum penalties
• A working knowledge of the important document issued by the Sentencing Council - June 2017 - ‘Sentencing Children and Young People’
• Application of Sentencing Guidelines
• Murder case sentences and children e.g. R v D [2025]
• Sentencing principles where an offender was child at date of offence, but turn 18 before sentence - recent approaches by Court of Appeal in R v Miah [2025]
• Persistent offenders
• Criminal Behaviour Orders

Trial Process and Preparation

• Special measures and effective participation of a Defendant at trial
• Intermediaries for child defendant
• Instruction of independent experts - issues of mental health vulnerabilities and neurodiversity
• Bad character - case updates on evidence of gang affiliation in rap and drill music
• Hearsay update
• Reporting Restrictions
• County Lines and Child Criminal exploitation
• Prosecuting/Defending sexual offences in the Youth Court
• Determining age of offender

Youth Court Quiz - 25 useful Questions with 3 multiple-choice answers per question

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.