'Sentencing young people' guideline consultation

Sentencing should primarily take account of the risk a person (regardless of age) presents to the public. Pleas in mitigation can and should provide sufficient information to the sentencing authority. If someone has not reached maturity by the age of 25 why are they allowed to marry, vote and serve in the military to name but a few, then there are mental capacity issues which need to be addressed by professional medical opinion.

Please see previous answer. This is designed to ease pressure on the sentancing system and has no regard whatsoever for the victim.

Reasonable age of responsibility.

Nowhere else n the guidline does the word “victim “ appear and ndicating a total disregard for victims of those “young people”

See above

See above

There is already sufficient emphasis on this factor.

See above

Effect on victims must be the primary consideration in sentancinf police. All other factors should be secondary to this.

See previous answers

After age of 18 it is inappropriate to free a person to the Childres Hearing system

See earlier answer.

Public perception will get to view this policy as another excuse not to properly deal with offending behaviour.

This will only serve to decrease the credibility in the Court system, where credibility is alfready at a significantly low level

None whatsoever other than to reduce pressure on the prison of other supervisory processes. It will be used by the legal profession as a means to minimise criminal behaviour to the detriment of society.

This will be seen as cost sacing, which I would suggest is the prime mover in these guidelines and will be seen as such by the public at large.

These guidelines are clearly created by out of touch professionals in the legal system who have neither genn a victim or otherwise affected by the activities of a small group of criminals. Why was the agof 2 chosen, why not 26 or 24. Where is the rational for the choice of age. When is some one to be regarded as 25, on their birthday of up to their 26th birthday. This appears arbitary and not borne out of any phsycoligical study. Ate age 25 I was married, had a child, was already in a managerial post, I emerged from a very much under privileged background. I received nor looked for any consideration but was taught responsibility and respect for others by my parents. I was a semi professional musician from the age of 16. I had little by way of educational qualification because the family finances demanded all adults in the household earned to support the home. All too often excuses are made for what is quite simply bad behaviour, a lack of grasping the nettle by successive Governments, and a weak Judicial system afraid to iose appropriate sentences for fear of criticism.. here is yet another erosion in what is acceptable conduct finding more excuses to do nothing.