Juvenile Laws at Isle of Man (Crown Dependency)
The Isle of Man's juvenile justice system is governed by the Children and Young Persons Act 2001, which outlines the legal framework for addressing youth offending. Key provisions include:
Age of Criminal Responsibility: Children under the age of 10 are conclusively presumed incapable of committing an offense. Children aged 10 or over can be held criminally responsible.
Welfare Considerations: Courts must prioritize the welfare of the child or young person in all proceedings.
Separation from Adults: Children and young persons must be kept separate from adults in police stations and courts, except when jointly charged with an adult.
Supervision Orders: Courts can impose supervision orders, placing the young person under the supervision of the Department of Health and Social Care or a designated officer.
šļø Youth Justice Team (YJT)
The Youth Justice Team is a multi-disciplinary partnership comprisingīī
-Social Service
-Health Service
-Probation Servic
-Education Departmen
-Department of Economic Developmen
-Isle of Man Polic, The YJT is responsible for supervising children and young people subject to pre-court interventions and statutory court disposalsīīIt aims to prevent offending and re-offending through effective services and collaboration with other agencies to ensure safeguarding
ā ļø Challenges and Calls for Reform
Recent reports highlight several challenges within the youth justice system
Increased Youth Offending:There has been a significant rise in youth offending, with the number of young people committing offenses more than doubling in recent years
Resource Constraints:Cuts to specialist worker posts in the Youth Justice Team have been linked to an increase in youth offending
Systemic Issues:Magistrates have described the youth justice system as "disjointed" and have called for more investment to address rising youth crime numbers. In response, the government has outlined plans to combat youth offending, including the establishment of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) to bring together professionals from various sectors to address the issue comprehensively
ā Recent Developments
A significant legislative change is the Justice Reform Act, which, once fully implemented, will treat 17-year-olds as juveniles rather than adults in the justice system, Although the Act received Royal Assent in July 2021, it has yet to be fully enacted, In the interim, a 17-year-old drug dealer was treated as an adult by the court, highlighting the current legal discrepancy
In summary, while the Isle of Man has a structured legal framework for juvenile justice, recent challenges underscore the need for reform and increased investment to effectively address youth offending and support rehabilitation.
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