JUVENILE COURTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1933, Page 7

JUVENILE COURTS

BRITAIN’S NEW PROCEDURE. [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, August 11. The new enactment of the Children and Young Persons’ Act. 1933, provides for the organisation of Juvenile Courts, which as far as possible, are to be entirely removed from the ordinary Police Courts. A need is felt to be for Courts which are not sentimental, but sympathetic, and are in capacity of a parent. The number of offences being committed by young persons points to the need for these reforms. No fewer than 21 per cent, of indictable offences committed in 1931 were committed by persons under the age of 16 years. Experience shows that it is better to deal with young persons at the age of 14 or 15 than later, thus the percentage of successes in the industrial schools is 85 to 90 per cent., whereas the figures for the-‘ Borstal institutions-, dealing with children at a later age are 65 per cent. The Home Office have sent circulars to the Magistartes,- local authorities and the police, explaining the-Act,-accompanied by. rules for the interpretation and pointing out that tije; ob-; ject of the juvenile Court' is not to punish, but to make a good citizen.