The Act Schedule 9: Alternatives to prosecution for offenders under 18
345.Paragraph 2 amends section 65 of the 1998 Act. That section provides for the giving of reprimands and final warnings to children and young offenders. Paragraph 2(2) amends section 65(1) of the 1998 Act which sets out the conditions that must be satisfied before a reprimand or warning may be given. Paragraph 2(2)(a) amends section 65(1)(b) – which requires a constable to be satisfied that, on the evidence, there would be a realistic prospect of the offender being convicted - so as to bring it into line with the equivalent test for adult conditional cautions, namely that there is sufficient evidence to charge the offender with the offence. No practical difference is intended between the existing and revised test. Paragraph 2(2)(b) amends the test in section 65(1)(d) so that no young person may be given a reprimand or warning where he or she has previously been given a youth conditional caution. Paragraph 2(3) amends section 65(3) so as to require a constable, when considering whether to warn a young person (who has previously received a warning), to be satisfied that the offence is not so serious as to require either (as now) the person to be charged or a youth conditional caution to be given. Paragraph 2(4) amends section 65(6), which places a duty on the Secretary of State to issue guidance in respect of reprimands and warnings. As a result of the amendment, such guidance will need to set out the criteria for determining whether an offence is not so serious as to require the offender to be charged (as now), or given a youth conditional caution.
346.Section 65(8) of the 1998 Act prohibits the giving of any caution to a child or young person other than a reprimand or warning. Paragraph 2(6) amends this provision so as to exclude youth conditional cautions from the prohibition (children and young persons will, as now, be ineligible to receive a “simple” police caution).
347.Paragraph 3inserts new sections 66A to 66H into the 1998 Act.