Youth Courts are usually attached to the local Magistrates Courts and operate in much the same way as Magistrates Courts in that the Judge will either be a single judge or three lay Magistrates. The Youth Court has jurisdiction to deal with a wide range of cases and only the most serious or complicated cases will be sent to the Crown Court.
The age of criminal liability starts at the age of 10. From the age of 10 until your 18th Birthday you are treated as a juvenile offender. Once you reach the age of 18 you are treated as an adult offender.
We have a team of solicitors that predominantly practice in the youth Court. Working with young people and their carers requires a significant amount of time, dedication & sensitivity. All our team are experienced and well equipped to deal with young people, however a specialist youth court team ensures that our young clients receive as much attention as possible.
We also work with a number of agencies that offer support to young people in the community and represent children and young people in care homes working to achieve the best results for them and working with other agencies to try and ensure that the young people can be re-habilitated.
We have worked with many amazing young people over the years who have managed to make something of their lives and stay away from trouble.
Fees & Funding
Almost every client with proceedings in the Youth Court is entitled to legal aid as it is not means tested. Please refer to the Fees & Funding age for more details.