What are the court’s powers where satisfied as to completion of Referral Order (RO) contract following a referral from a youth offender panel?

Things to consider:

Where a court considers a referral from a youth offender panel in relation to the child’s lack of compliance (and that the child will not have satisfactorily completed the contract). If the court decides, contrary to the decision of the panel, that the child’s compliance with the terms of the contract has, or will have, been such as to justify the conclusion that the child has satisfactorily completed the contract, the court must make an order declaring that the referral order (or each of the referral orders) is discharged.

Further resources:

• Para 11, Schedule 4 of the Sentencing Act 2020; previously para 8, Schedule 1 of the Power of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000
• In what circumstances can the youth offender panel refer a child, who is on a Referral Order, back to court?