Juvenile Offenders And The United Nations Convention On...

1.0 Introduction With the escalating seriousness and devastation being caused by young criminals, the Queensland Jurisdiction amended the Youth Justice Act 1992, on 11 February 2014, in an attempt to control and reduce young people offending and achieve improved outcomes for young offenders and their families. However, the reforms are argumentative with stakeholders believing that the amendments breach the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This report will evaluate Queensland’s criminal justice system’s ability to effectively balance the rights of juvenile offenders with the society’s need for order, as well as examine different stakeholder perspectives and make justified recommendations about legal issues and their outcomes. 2.0 Legislation The Youth Justice Act 1992 (QLD) contains laws for juveniles who commit offences, or are alleged to have committed offences. Under the law a juvenile is a person who is not old enough, by statutory age of criminal responsibility, to be held accountable for their criminal acts. In most Australian jurisdictions the maximum age for treatment as a child for criminal offences is 17 years. However, Queensland is the only Australian jurisdiction that deals with 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. The purpose of the Youth Justice Act 1992 (QLD) is to provide fair and balanced law to juvenile offenders to effectively balance their rights with the society’s need for order. The Act also provides servicesShow MoreRelatedCapital Punishment Of The United States Essay1680 Words   |  7 Pageshuman-right case; therefore, it has led to its abolishment in many countries. In several countries, the ending of capital punishment against juveniles has been accomplished through e nforcement if specific provisions of international agreements, which prohibit the execution of a juvenile. 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