Sentencing Young People Conference Report

A report outlining the key points discussed at the Council’s ‘Sentencing Young People’ conference has now been published.

The event was held to inform the development of a guideline on sentencing young people, one of the core pieces of work announced in our Business Plan 2015-18.

More than 40 organisations from across Scotland with an interest in young people, including criminal justice organisations, third sector bodies, and academics, attended the conference to share knowledge and ideas.  

The report, which follows the Chatham House Rule, sets out the main topics discussed, including:

• the principles and purposes of sentencing young people
• the potential effects of different types and levels of sentence on young people
• how the personal circumstances common to many young people who commit offences should be taken into account in sentencing (such as age, maturity, trauma or bereavement).  

Chair of the Council, the Lord Justice Clerk, said: “The Council took a decision at an early stage to engage widely in our work and this event was part of that commitment. It will be extremely helpful in the development of our guideline on sentencing young people, and I would like to thank all the speakers and delegates who contributed so constructively to the discussions. I hope that the report will also prove to be of use to others with an interest in the sentencing of young people.”

Read the report.

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