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Children as young as 14 will train to serve as judge and jury in trials of their peers, under government plans to cut inner city crime. The initiative, an attempt to encourage young people to respect the judicial system, has the support of senior ministers but has alarmed some legal experts. The Department of Constitutional Affairs could introduce the radical scheme next year, when it pilots a groundbreaking project in Liverpool that hopes to repeat the success of initiatives in the US. Depending on the results of the two-year trial, the government intends to roll the scheme out across Britain. The Red Hook Justice Centre, in Brooklyn, New York, runs a unique adult court system which unites civil, family and criminal cases plus social service facilities under one roof. The scheme also uses a 'teen' court to handle cases of 10 to 16-year-olds accused of petty crimes such as anti-social behaviour, vandalism, drug-taking and underage drinking. Greg Berman, Director of the Centre for Court Innovation, which developed the Red Hook concept and is advising the British government on introducing a similar centre in Liverpool, said Britain had shown a 'tidal wave of interest' in the initiative. “We've had visits from the Home Secretary, the Lord Chief Justice, the Attorney General and several ministers,” Berman said. Under the teen court scheme, which is being adopted by New Zealand, Canada and Japan, teenagers aged 14 to 17 study a number of disciplines including law and social sciences, to ensure they make fair judgments and recommend appropriate sentencing. Teenage jury members are selected from a variety of backgrounds and include ex-offenders. The court can also appoint teenage judges, prosecution and defence counsels. Sanctions at the court's disposal include compelling offenders to perform community service, write letters of apology to their victims and attend anger management workshops. Its supporters believe using peer pressure is an effective way of preventing teenagers reoffending. “Let's be honest, courts are ranked below banks, Congress and any other civic institution you can name when it comes to trust. This scheme tries to bring justice back to the community. It makes justice something people can touch and see,” Berman said. Red Hook is one of scores of youth courts in operation across the US. The first was opened in the 1980s but it was only under the Clinton administration that the schemes became established in major cities. Critics question the wisdom of making naturally rebellious teenagers central to the sentencing process. Elizabeth Gaines, executive director of US thinktank the Osborne Association, has raised fears that Red Hook leaves children with the unhealthy impression 'that the justice system is necessarily a part of their lives'. And one academic study found the success of 'teen courts varies considerably across the United States'. But Berman says more than 80 per cent of offenders complete sentences handed down in youth courts, a significantly higher proportion than under conventional sentencing. “When we started there was this question about whether teenagers would want to stand up in front of their peers — whether we really could activate peer pressure — but the reaction has been remarkably positive,” he said. The government has already pledged to introduce Red Hook's adult system in its Liverpool initiative. One judge will preside over civil, family and criminal cases offering a one-stop judicial shop, with links to social services, to tackle entrenched problems such as drug abuse and domestic violence. Since Red Hook opened in 2000, supporters say crime in the community has fallen. Last year was the first in four decades without a murder in the neighbourhood. A home office spokesman said a senior judge would oversee the Liverpool centre in the autumn and confirmed the government was studying plans to introduce peer courts to Britain. “Peer courts are an option we are looking at, but it will be up to the judge and local practitioners to decide whether this is a suitable option for the Liverpool project,” he said. Jamie Doward http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1288379,00.html |
