cover image: Best Interests of the Child in Adult Criminal Process

Best Interests of the Child in Adult Criminal Process

31 Jul 2024

The project’s objective is to instigate and support a systemic and cultural change in the way that the best interests of the child are considered by defence counsel, the prosecution and the courts. [...] Synthesizing a number of discrete pieces of research into the normative, legal and practical aspects of considering the best interests of the dependent child in adult criminal process, the project team assembled an Overview For Practitioners which served as the basis for consultations. [...] The Overview was also intended to encourage subject matter experts and decision makers holding positions of responsibility in the criminal process to consider how the best interests of the child may most suitably and effectively be incorporated into decisions and orders of the criminal courts, at the level of justice system operations at the policy and legislative levels, and at the communit. [...] Many attendees emphasized that considering BIOTC is not, in principle, a matter of leniency, but rather a device to remind the court (or other point of decision-making) of the interests of the child per se independent of the interests of the accused. [...] Goal 2: Determine the degree to which the ideas and arguments contained within the resources and the briefings have (a) educated the recipients regarding these ideas, (b) persuaded recipients of the need to incorporate consideration of the best interests of the child, and (c) created allies or champions for change [ACHIEVED] Method: via questionnaire, engage all individuals engaged in the above.

Authors

Chan, Marcella

Pages
21
Published in
Canada

Table of Contents