What is the Canadian Youth Criminal Justice Act?
Introduction. The Youth Criminal Justice Act is the law that governs Canada’s youth justice system. It applies to youth who are at least 12 but under 18 years old, who are alleged to have committed criminal offences.
What is the main purpose of the Youth Criminal Justice Act?
The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) is the federal law about the youth criminal justice system. The purpose of the act is to protect the public by: Holding youth accountable through measures that are proportionate to the seriousness of the offence and the level of responsibility of the youth.
What are the 4 objectives of the YCJA?
Read the points below to review what you learned: Youth aged 12-17 who commit offences are treated differently than adults. The objectives of the youth justice system are crime prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration, and meaningful consequences.
Can a 16 year old go to jail in Ontario?
In Canada, young people can be held responsible for a crime as of age 12. So, police can arrest a teenager if they think that the teen committed a crime (for example, theft, assault, drug possession or trafficking).
What is the maximum sentence for youth in Canada?
Youth Sentence Lengths for Homicide 1st Degree Murder: maximum period is 10 years including a maximum custody period of 6 years and a period of supervision in the community. 2nd Degree Murder: The maximum period is 7 years including a maximum custody period of 4 years and a period of supervision in the community.
What is wrong with the Youth Criminal Justice Act?
Critics of the YCJA felt it was too lenient and when the Conservative Harper government came into power in January 2006, it lobbied for harsher sentences, arguing that they would be a deterrent to would-be youth criminals and cut down on repeat offenders.
What is the relationship between the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the Criminal Code of Canada?
The YCJA is the legal foundation upon which Canada’s youth criminal justice system is built. It recognizes that in order to protect society, youth who commit crimes must be held accountable through measures that are proportionate to the seriousness of the offence.
How were youth treated under the Juvenile Delinquents Act?
Under the JDA, children in trouble with the law were not charged with breaking a specific statute. Instead, they were charged with delinquency. Judges had enormous discretion in sentencing juvenile delinquents. A child could be placed in foster care, pay a fine, or be institutionalized until the age of 21.
What rights do youth have in Ontario?
In Ontario, a person who is 16 or 17 years old has the legal right to withdraw from parental control. This usually means that the young person is not living with their parents. There is no court process involved. There are no court documents or official documents required.
What is considered a youth in Ontario?
A child is someone younger than 18 years of age. A young person is someone who has been charged with or found guilty of an offence under a law called the Youth Criminal Justice Act , or the Provincial Offences Act , while they were between 12 and 17 years old.
Can youth be sentenced as adults in Canada?
Can a youth be “tried as an adult?” Canada doesn’t have that distinction at the trial stage, but if the charges are serious enough, the attorney general can direct the Crown to request that a youth be sentenced as an adult if convicted.
What sentences can a youth court give?
Sentences a youth court can give The court can give a range of sentences including: community sentences. Detention and Training Orders carried out in secure centres for young people.