18 year old in court
A member of the commons justice select committee and former magistrate is proposing a bill that would ensure young defendants are treated as children by the justice system, even if they turn 18 before their first court appearance.
Rob Butler MP, who formerly served on the Youth Justice Board and as the magistrate member of the Sentencing Council, asked MPs in the Commons yesterday if he could introduce the bill, which has been co-sponsored by Conservative MP Bob Neill, chair of the justice committee.
Currently, the justice system treats a defendant according to their age on the date they first appear in court and enter a plea.
Butler said: ‘The arbitrary cut-off date of a young person’s 18th birthday immediately affects both the type of court that deals with them and the range of sentences available. But there can then be a longer-lasting impact on the chance of rehabilitation, the likelihood of getting a job and the prospect of forever having to disclose a mistake from the past due to the rules on criminal records.
