What’s the issue?

The Scottish Government is consulting on the principle of increasing the age at which children can be referred to the Reporter for care, protection and offence grounds. Currently, a child who is not already subject to a Compulsory Supervision Order can only be referred to the Reporter if they are aged under 16.

It is proposed that any young person aged under 18 can be referred to the Reporter where it might be necessary for their protection, guidance, treatment or control. It is also proposed that where a child has been charged with an offence the police can report to the Reporter or jointly report to the Procurator Fiscal.

Scottish Government Consultation document: https://consult.gov.scot/children-and-families/age-of-referral-to-the-principal-reporter/ 

How we gathered views

We discussed the issue and undertook a survey of Staf members attending our Focus Groups and Local Authority Members’ Forum. The Youth Justice Visionaries (a group of young people involved in the Staf/CYCJ Youth Justice Voices project) have been commissioned by the Scottish Government to gather views on the issue too. The views of the Youth Justice Visionaries, and their care and justice experienced peers, have also been incorporated into this response. 

Read our response in full here.