Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 80 views

    The Child Justice Act - Summary

    Uploaded by

    Andrew Greenwood
    The Child Justice Act is a South African law that establishes a special legal framework for dealing with children accused of crimes. It aims to protect children's rights, ensure they are treated appropriately for their age, and provide rehabilitation rather than punishment. Key aspects include not prosecuting children under 10 but rather providing care; requiring probation assessments of older children to understand their behaviors and needs; using diversion programs, community service, and detention only as a last resort; and prohibiting life imprisonment for children. The overall goal is to help rather than harm children in the legal system.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    The Child Justice Act - Summary

    Uploaded by

    Andrew Greenwood
    80 views2 pages
    The Child Justice Act is a South African law that establishes a special legal framework for dealing with children accused of crimes. It aims to protect children's rights, ensure they are treated appropriately for their age, and provide rehabilitation rather than punishment. Key aspects include not prosecuting children under 10 but rather providing care; requiring probation assessments of older children to understand their behaviors and needs; using diversion programs, community service, and detention only as a last resort; and prohibiting life imprisonment for children. The overall goal is to help rather than harm children in the legal system.

    Original Description:

    A summary of the child justice act of south africa

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The Child Justice Act is a South African law that establishes a special legal framework for dealing with children accused of crimes. It aims to protect children's rights, ensure they are treated appropriately for their age, and provide rehabilitation rather than punishment. Key aspects include not prosecuting children under 10 but rather providing care; requiring probation assessments of older children to understand their behaviors and needs; using diversion programs, community service, and detention only as a last resort; and prohibiting life imprisonment for children. The overall goal is to help rather than harm children in the legal system.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    80 views2 pages

    The Child Justice Act - Summary

    Uploaded by

    Andrew Greenwood
    The Child Justice Act is a South African law that establishes a special legal framework for dealing with children accused of crimes. It aims to protect children's rights, ensure they are treated appropriately for their age, and provide rehabilitation rather than punishment. Key aspects include not prosecuting children under 10 but rather providing care; requiring probation assessments of older children to understand their behaviors and needs; using diversion programs, community service, and detention only as a last resort; and prohibiting life imprisonment for children. The overall goal is to help rather than harm children in the legal system.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Child Justice Act

    Made simple
    Sometimes a child may do something that is against the
    law this is called a criminal act. The government has
    passed a special act that applies to children who are
    accused of and/or have committed crimes.
    This is called the Child Justice Act.
    In making this Act, many people (including children), made
    suggestions about how we should deal with, and help,
    children who are accused and who have committed
    crimes. Many of these ideas became part of the Act.
    A brief outline of the Act :

    Laws
    that are
    written
    down
    are
    called
    Acts.

    The Act protects the rights of children who are


    accused or who have committed crimes. Just
    because a child is accused or has committed a
    crime does not mean that they should not be treated
    properly or abused in any way. They must still be
    treated like children.

    The Act says that if a child that is under 10 years


    has committed a crime, they should not be taken to
    court as they are not able to take responsibility fully
    for what they have done. These children must be
    helped in other ways and provided with care,
    protection and treatment according to their needs.

    The Act provides that when a child over 10 years


    has been accused of committing a crime, they must
    be assessed by a probation officer. A probation
    officer is someone with special training to
    understand and help children involved in crime.

    Follow me to Page

    Child Justice Act


    Made simple
    Assessed means that the probation officer has to
    interview the child, and people who know the child,
    to understand what may have caused the childs
    behaviour and what needs to be done to help the
    child.
    !

    The Act says that older children must be helped to


    take responsibility for their behaviour and to make
    restitution this means try and make right the
    wrong they have done. This can be done by
    attending diversion programmes these are
    programme that help the child understand the
    wrongfulness of their behaviour and learn skills that
    help them behave differently. Sometimes an older
    child may be ordered to do community service as
    well as attend a helping programme. This may be,
    for example, helping at a home for the elderly, or
    washing cars at a welfare organisation.

    The Act says that children may only be kept in


    police cells or prison as a very last resort as these
    are not healthy places for children to be and that
    children cannot be given a sentence of life
    imprisonment if they are sentenced to prison.

    A sentence is what the Magistrate or Judge (person


    in charge of the court) decides must happen to the
    child if they are found guilty of committing the crime.

    You might also like