Juvenile Court Project

Background

Within recent years, the number of youth becoming perpetrators or victims of violent crimes has increased. It is clear that the justice system and the traditional punitive approach have failed to deter our young people from the allure of a life of crime. While important strides have been made toward the modernisation of child justice in Trinidad and Tobago with the passage of the Children Act 2012, the Children’s Authority Act and the Children’s Community Residences, Foster Care and Nurseries Act, more needsto be done to give full effect to this package of Children’s legislation. This project aims to contribute to the successful implementation of the package of Children’s legislation by ensuring that the Judiciary is prepared to use its powers provided to encourage the implementation of the supportive and restorative approach.

 Objective

To strengthen the capacity of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago to deal with children matters using a rehabilitative and less retributive approach.

Key Challenges

The deficiencies in the current system:

• Traditional punitive approach to child justice
• Increasing rate of repeat offending by children for serious crimes
• Absence of specialised Children Courts to handle criminal matters
• Insufficient linkages between support programmes and the Courts

Project Strategy

• Develop a Children Court that supports the implementation of the provisions of the Children Act 2012
• Conduct pilot Peer Resolution hearings which have sittings in Trinidad and in Tobago
• Execute a Public Education and Sensitisation programme that improves awareness of and interest in child justice reform initiatives

Children Court

• Development of a children court system with one specialised Children Court facility in at least two locations in Trinidad and Tobago
• Outfitting of a space which meets standards set for the hearing of children matters
• Establishment of court rules, policies and procedures for handling children matters
• Support for government agencies and NGOs in the improvement of support programmes linked to the Children Court system
• Training of those who work in the child justice system on new legislation, rules and procedures for handling children matters
• Building of capacity to support the Children Court in effective and efficient case management

Peer Resolution

• Piloting of an education-by-participation initiative where children who commit minor offences are held accountableby their peers for their wroing doing and the harm brought to others
• Education by participation initiative where children who commit a first-time offence or those who are guilty of minor crimes are held accountable by their peers
• Development of a concept and framework for Peer Resolution
• Legislative drafting, including primary and secondary legislation, rules and procedures
• Training of persons including youth participants, judicial officers, attorneys, government and civil society stakeholders for their involvement in Peer Resolution
• Monitoring and evaluation of the training and the pilot programme

Public Education and Communication

• Support for the conduct of sensitisation and consultations with stakeholders for the development of the Children Court and Pilot Peer Resolution programmes
• Public education effort focused on sensitising the national community to the project’s objectives and related child justice issues

Expected Outcomes

• Strengthened capacity of the Judiciary to deal with children matters using a rehabilitative approach which includes heightened awareness of youth about the courts, law and its operations and consequences of non-social behaviour
• Increased involvement and empowerment of youth in solutions to issues affecting youth in society
• Enhanced capacity of the non-judiciary environment (NGOs, the Children’s Authority and State Agencies) to support the work of the Judiciary in child justice
• Heightened awareness of the general population about child justice issues

Contact Information:

Ms. Candice Davis-Blackman
Manager, Public Education and Communication
Trinidad and Tobago Juvenile Court Project
24 Tenth Avenue, Barataria,
Trinidad and Tobago.
Phone: 221-8620 / 221-8614 ext 27
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information visit www.jcp.tt