This book is the first practitioner’s guide of its kind for the Youth Court in Northern Ireland. It is an important guide and essential reading for all practitioners in the field and complements other generic criminal law texts which focus, invariably, on adults and the adult courts.  The book aims to assist lawyers, police, social workers, youth workers and others involved with children and youths who engage with the criminal justice system.

 Sections are broken down into the stages: before court (including the investigation and diversionary disposals); procedure at the Youth Court and Crown Court; bail; court disposals; ancillary court orders; young people with learning disabilities and lacking capacity; and appeal mechanisms.