What Is A Young Offender?
Any child that is between the ages of 12 - 17 years old that is charged with a criminal offence is governed by the Youth Criminal Justice Act. This Act was created in response to the unique circumstances that are present for a youthful offender. Over the past 19 years, at Hundal Law Firm, we have represented many youth offenders and are proud to be one of the best criminal lawyers in Brampton. We recognize the special challenges in handling criminal charges against youth offenders and help kids to navigate the criminal justice system. Young people have special rights that need to be protected. If you are a youth that has been charged, then we can meet you at our Brampton law office for a free consultation.
Youth Offenders In The Criminal Justice System
As with adult offenders, when a youth is arrested, they have the right to consult a lawyer of their choice. You may contact our criminal law firm in Brampton, and we will inform you of all your rights and answer any questions that you may have. Upon arrest, a youth has the right to have their parent present during police questioning. If the police determine that they are not going to release you, then our Brampton law office will arrange to have bail hearing. Once you have been released by the police, then we will attempt to have the charges resolved as soon as possible. There are special measures in the Youth Criminal Justice Act that can facilitate this. For instance, there is something referred to as extrajudicial sanctions. We will meet with the Crown Attorney to convince them to offer this measure, which would ultimately result in the charges getting dismissed upon doing such things as volunteer work or attendance at some classes. Another similar measure that is available to young offenders is the Youth Justice Committee. This committee will decide what sort of things are appropriate to undertake for the offender and, could include writing an essay or letter or some sort of restitution, which again would ultimately result in all charges getting withdrawn. As one of the top criminal lawyers in Brampton, we pride ourselves on aiming to get charges withdrawn on all our youth offenders, by negotiating with the Crown Attorney. We understand the detrimental impact that a criminal record can have on a youth's future and use our full resources to prevent this. We attempt to ensure that the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act are complied with, and this includes the principles of taking into account the best interests of the young offender.