The Canadian Juvenile Justice System Essay - 1171 Words

Youth and juvenile crime is a common and serious issue in current society, and people, especially parents and educators, are pretty worried about the trend of this problem. According to Bala and Roberts, around 17% of criminals were youths, compared to 8% of Canadian population ranging between 12 to 18 years of age between 2003 and 2004 (2006, p37). As a big federal country, Canada has taken a series of actions since 1908. So far, there are three justice acts in the history of Canadian juvenile justice system, the 1908 Juvenile Delinquents Act, the 1982 Young Offenders Act, and the 2003 Youth Criminal Justice Act. In Canada, the judicial system and the principle of these laws have been debated for a long time. This paper will discuss how†¦show more content†¦7-15 year old (in some cases, a maximum of 17years) young people are confined under this Law. The courts, as the judicial role of parents, had to decide whether the young people should bear the consequences for their cri mes. If the judge found that the minors conduct had constituted a crime, then he could order him or her into the juvenile correctional homes until the relevant authorities agreed the criminal juvenile could be released. The law assumed the responsibility of the parents that they should determine the care of young people in terms of education and the linkages with their families (Sayson, 2006, p.6). The Juvenile Delinquents Act brought some positive impacts on many young people who went through the juvenile justice system. However, many flaws appeared in this Act after a period of time. Under the JDA, there were a number of differences in provincial prohibitions, variations in maximum age limits, and a wide range of financial commitment (Covell Howe, 1996, p.346). The juvenile offender under this law, which built a level of discretionary regime, had few rights with regards to the welfare. In addition, according to Makarenko, there was another limit of this act – the law did n ot charge against children by defining different circumstances, instead, it charged children with delinquency. The law offered judges with a great deal of rights in sentencing juvenile delinquents (2007, p.2). In 1984, the Juvenile Crime Act (YOA) replaced theShow MoreRelatedYouth Justice in Canada750 Words   |  3 PagesYouth Justice in Canada Juvenile or youth crime has become a controversial issue in the politics of Canada because of the huge disagreements regarding how the youths should be treated in the criminal system despite of the fact that youth crime in the country is lamentable. The controversy is mainly centered on the best and most suitable approach taken to handle the youth criminals and the severity of the punishment that should be given (Makarenko, 2007). 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