Teenagers will act as judge, jury and prosecutors in cases involving other young people, under a radical new plan from the Victorian government.
The plan, announced today by Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls, would involve young people dispensing justice to their peers in cases regarding low-level offences such as graffiti and shoplifting.
It follows similar schemes in the UK and the US, and would allow the junior judges to order wrongdoers to carry out community service or write letters of apology.
“These panels may use youths as advocates, prosecutors, jurors or judges,” Attorney-General Rob Hulls Hulls told the Herald Sun.
“Overseas experience has shown judgment by peers to be an effective tool in holding youth to account for their actions and reduce the cycle of offending the re-offending.
“Overseas the recidivism rates have dropped dramatically and those people who have been dealt with by peer panels often graduate to become panelists themselves.
“They have a far greater respect for the justice system.”
