YCJA LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the youth justice system are to prevent crime; rehabilitate and reintegrate young persons into society; and ensure meaningful consequences for offences.
Young persons are to be held accountable through interventions that are fair and in proportion to the seriousness of the offence.
Young persons are to be held accountable through interventions that are fair and in proportion to the seriousness of the offence.
POLICE AND PROSECUTORS
The YCJA requires police officers to consider the use of extrajudicial measures before deciding to charge a young person. Police and prosecutors are specifically authorized to use various types of extrajudicial measures:
- Taking no further action
- Police warnings and cautions
- Crown cautions
- Referrals by officers
SENTENCING CONSIDERATIONS IN THE YCJA
- Always hold young person accountable
- There is a clear distinction between serious violent offences and less serious offences.
- Provides opportunity for victims to participate in decisions
- Ensure that the measures are proportionate to the seriousness of the offence
- Encourage the involvement of families, victims and other members of the community
- Fairness in sentencing
SENTENCING OPTIONS FOR YOUTH
- Reprimand
- Intensive support and supervision order
- Attendance order
- Deferred custody and supervision order
- Intensive rehabilitation
PURPOSE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL MEASURES
Experience in Canada and other countries has shown that measures outside the court process can provide effective responses to less serious youth crime.
One of the key objectives of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is to increase the use of effective and timely non-court responses to less serious offences by youth.
These extrajudicial measures provide meaningful consequences, such as requiring the young person to repair the harm done to the victim. They also allow early intervention with young people and provide the opportunity for the broader community to play an important role in developing community-based responses to youth crime.
One of the key objectives of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is to increase the use of effective and timely non-court responses to less serious offences by youth.
These extrajudicial measures provide meaningful consequences, such as requiring the young person to repair the harm done to the victim. They also allow early intervention with young people and provide the opportunity for the broader community to play an important role in developing community-based responses to youth crime.