The youth criminal justice system can be complex to navigate for children and young people, particularly as children reach court proceedings. We recommend that direct recruitment to the youth magistracy be introduced, which would allow magistrates to specialise in the youth justice system from the outset. We also recommend that the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service consider enabling peer advocates to have an increased role in youth court system.

The youth criminal justice system can be complex to navigate for children and young people, particularly as children reach court proceedings. We recommend that direct recruitment to the youth magistracy be introduced, which would allow magistrates to specialise in the youth justice system from the outset. We also recommend that the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service consider enabling peer advocates to have an increased role in youth court system. Type: recommendation | Number: 22 | Paragraph: 130 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: 68. Direct recruitment to the youth magistracy has been considered previously, but the initiative has not been pursued to date as there is currently an insufficient caseload in the youth courts for this to be proportionate. In order to achieve the minimum sitting day requirement for magistrates of 1