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A wide-ranging review of the treatment of young people in the criminal justice system has been called for by the new chairman of the Criminal Bar Association.
Sally O’Neill QC of Furnival Chambers, who took over as chairman on 1 September, says that although great steps have been taken to improve the lot of young witnesses, more needs to be done to protect child defendants.
She says: “The special measures used to secure the best evidence from young witnesses and to protect them before, after and during the trial, have improved considerably the way in which young witnesses are treated during the trial process, although there is always room for improvement.
“The same facilities have only recently been made available for young defendants and their treatment outside the court process itself is markedly different from young witnesses for the prosecution.”
At just 10, she says, England and Wales already has a very low age of criminal responsibility. The processes for arrest, interview and trial are often poorly adapted to the immaturity of those young people.
The use of Crown Courts such as the Old Bailey to try defendants as young as 10 is both inappropriate and outmoded, she adds.
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