Youth Justice Summit 2019: Children in the Criminal Courts
About the event
The Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC) would like to invite you to the third Youth Justice Summit on 17 May 2019. The The Youth Justice Summit brings together experts in youth justice to share knowledge and expertise on youth justice legal issues. We are building a community of specialist youth justice lawyers to ensure children who come into contact with the criminal justice system are represented by lawyers who have specialist knowledge of youth justice law. The Summit is delivered in association with The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London.
YJLC believes children deserve to be represented by lawyers with expertise in youth justice law.
Who can attend?
- Barristers, solicitors, legal executives and accredited police station representatives
- Judges, magistrates, legal advisers and prosecutors
- Youth offending teams, academics and professionals who work with children and young people in the criminal justice system
Our Summit 2018 was a great success. Below are comments from 2018 delegates, which give a sense of the value and importance of this event. We are planning an equally thought-provoking programme this year.
97% of attendees who gave feedback would recommend the Summit to others.
Director of the YJLC and barrister Kate Aubrey-Johnson says:
‘Lawyers specialising in youth justice work rarely get the recognition they deserve. We hope the Youth Justice Summit will start to change that. Most young defendants are acutely vulnerable, with communication and other difficulties. An expert lawyer can make the world of difference to the outcome of a case and a child’s future prospects. This event will allow practitioners to share their expertise and knowledge, and be part of a movement towards raising standards in youth justice work. We think every child deserves the best possible legal representation.’
Keynote Speakers
Workshops and panel discussions
Thematic keynotes
Child & adolescent brain development
Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Law Commission – the new sentencing code and unfitness to plead
Professor David Ormerod QC
Representing defendants with autism, case studies, research and working with experts
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen FBA FBPsS
Workshops
No child in cells – Reducing custodial remand of children
Mital Raithatha (chair), Caoifhlionn O’Gallagher QC, Sinead MacCann, Penelope Gibbs and Ruth McGregor-Hamann
With over half the child on custodial from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, reducing the use of custodial remand for children is a pressing issue. What are the issues that lead to children being held in custody at the police station or spending long periods on custodial remand? Given that the majority of children (63%) given a custodial remand do not subsequently receive a custodial outcome, what can be done to reduce the use of custodial remand? Understand the duties are owed to children and how legal representatives can ensure a child defendant are provided with accommodation where needed.
Turning 18 – The impact of turning 18 in the criminal justice system
Katya Moran (chair), David Emanuel QC and Laura Janes
Children who turn 18 during the criminal justice system are treated as adults and are required to go to adult courts, adult prisons, receive adult sentences. There are approximately with long delays during the police investigation stage, is this contributing to more 17 year olds being sentenced as adults. What can legal representatives do to reduce the risk of injustice? How can systemic issues be addressed?
Psychologist, psychiatrist, intermediary – instructing the right expert
Aika Stephenson (chair), Dr Sinead Marriot (tbc), Clare Parkinson (tbc)
As many as 60-90% of children defendants will have significant language and communication difficulties (compared to 5-7% of children in the general population). How can we ensure the right expert is instructed and provides expert guidance for the legal representatives and the court.
Diversion and challenging decisions to prosecute
Laura Cooper (chair), Greg Stewart, Florence Cole and Alex Temple
There is a presumption in favour of diverting child offenders wherever possible, however, how do we ensure this happens in practice? How to ensure decision makers consider relevant background information, the wider duties owed to children and diversionary schemes available. Where necessary, learn how to challenge decisions to prosecute.
Criminal records
Jennifer Twite (chair), Claire Sands and Chris Stacey
In light of the landmark judgment in R (on the application of P, G and W) (Respondents) v Secretary of State for the Home Department and another (Appellants) [2019] UKSC 3, what next for criminal records regime? How will this affect child suspects and defendants?
Panel Discussions
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders and the criminal courts
Shauneen Lambe (chair), Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Brenda Campbell QC, Maya Sikand and Professor Simon Baron-Cohen
Child Terrorist – An Oxymoron? How the criminal courts treat child victims of trafficking and exploitation
Ali Bajwa, Michelle Brewer and Charlotte Buckley
Ensuring children receive a fair trial
Lynda Gibbs (chair), HHJ Rosa Dean and Rajiv Menon QC
What others are saying
Photos from last year's summit
Our partners
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