Youth juries
Friday 12 October 2007
A new scheme is planned where 10-17 year old will serve as youth juries. Is this a good idea?
What is a jury?
A jury involves 12 adults who decide whether a defendant – that is the person being accused of a crime, is guilty or not. The jury's task is to decide whether a person is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
At present, to sit in a jury you have to be 18 or over and have lived in Britain for a continuous period of 5 years from the age of 13. Names are chosen at random by computer from the electoral register. However if you have been on probation within the last 5 years or sentenced to prison, detention centre, youth custody or community service within the last 10 years, you can’t serve on a jury.
The new scheme
A new pilot scheme to be launched this December in Preston in Lancashire will for the first time see young people between 10-17 years old hear cases relating to other young people.
The kind of cases that might get heard are illegal graffiti that a young person has created, vandalism, bullying and even binge drinking!
The young jury will decide on punishments such as ordering offenders to pay cash, clean up graffiti or write a letter of apology to their victim. There will also be an option to draw up Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, similar to ASBOs for young people who have committed offences to follow.
The idea comes from an US project based on the theory that young people are affected more by peer pressure to change their ways than by adults such as police officers.
The young people who sit on the juries will be selected from local schools and will also be given special training for their role.
Do you think the new scheme will work? Have your say in the debate section.
