Year 10 - Citizenship
How does the youth justice system work?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the legal system?
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils learn how laws are made and enforced and about the purpose and types of punishment.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how the youth justice system works in the UK.
Key Notes
- Youth courts handle 10-17-year-olds and have different processes to adult court. Some cases are sent to the crown court.
- Youth courts balance punishment with safeguarding the welfare of the child and preventing re-offending.
- Differences include: courtroom layout, less formal proceedings, reporting restrictons and additonal checks.
- Due to devolution, England and Wales have a separate criminal justice system, including youth justice, from Scotland.
Vocabulary To Learn
- court: a formal legal institution where disputes are heard and resolved, and where justice is administered according to the law
- magistrate: a judicial officer who hears cases in a lower court, typically dealing with more minor offences
- offender: a person who has violated a law, regulation, or rule and is subject to legal or disciplinary punishment
- sentence: to impose a punishment for an offender
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Young people are tried in the same courts as adults.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Youth courts handle 10-17-year-olds and have different processes to adult court. Some cases are sent to the crown court. Youth courts balance punishment with safeguarding the welfare of the child and preventing re-offending.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'court'
a formal legal institution where disputes are heard and resolved, and where justice is administered according to the law.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Young people are tried in the same courts as adults. Correction: Young people are tried in a youth court, except for offences that are considered to be too serious.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 10 Citizenship guide library.