ALMOST on a daily basis, young people are being brought before the courts for various offences — some very serious.
This raises serious questions about how that teen or young adult found him or herself in trouble with the law, and whether earlier intervention would have made a difference in the choices they made.

The newly commissioned Children’s Court and Child-Friendly Room at the Wales Magistrate’s Court will offer a lifeline, a ray of hope for many young offenders and their families; as such, an initiative aims to provide reformative measures rather than punitive actions for young offenders under the age of 17.

Additionally, the court’s jurisdiction will cover other cases related to children, such as custody, contact, guardianship, and maintenance.
It all started several years ago when the Juvenile Justice Act was passed.

The new Act amends and consolidates the law in relation to criminal justice for juveniles; makes provision for proceedings involving juvenile offenders; provides for the establishment of facilities for the custody, education and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and repeals the Juvenile Offenders Act and the Training Schools Act.
The passage of the Act later led to the historic commissioning of the first Children’s Court at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Region Four.

This United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) initiative has been successfully replicated in other countries, many of which place heavy weight on ensuring that children are protected and their legal rights are respected and maintained.
The environment a child is in can negatively impact his/her behaviour, or dissuade them from speaking freely or recounting events to authorities such as judges, magistrates and attorneys. An open court surrounded by hardened criminals and other adults is not the ideal environment for a child.

At such a tender age, what is required is the right company and advice, initiatives that can mold their minds for the better and allow them to become productive adults who can make a valuable contribution to Guyana.
The Children’s Court and Child-Friendly Room offer privacy and a more welcoming environment. It will keep children away from the prying eyes of adults who have nothing but devious motives.

Like Turkey, Montenegro, Belize and the United States, the intention here in Guyana is to provide a legal system that will ensure that children’s rights are respected and their well-being is prioritised during legal proceedings.

In Guyana’s case, the inclusion of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA) and magistrates who have received specialised training to handle juvenile cases effectively, is comforting. This signals to doubtful minds that the court’s probability of functioning as intended is very high.
The rehabilitation and protection of our children have been placed on the front burner. There is no doubt that more efforts will be made to ensure that this continues to happen in the future.