Parents and guardians could face increased accountability, including potential jail time, for their children's crimes under new proposals for the youth justice system. The reforms, outlined in a Youth Justice White Paper published on Monday, are led by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy.
The plan aims to strengthen parenting orders, which currently allow courts to mandate parents into counselling or guidance, with financial penalties for non-compliance. The use of these orders has plummeted from over 1,000 in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23, according to the Ministry of Justice. The Telegraph reports that the changes, prompted by the Southport stabbings inquiry, could result in jail sentences for parents whose children break the law.
Alongside parental accountability, Lammy plans to pilot new youth intervention courts that will combine judges and support services to address the drivers of youth crime. These courts will supervise young offenders and provide tailored health and education interventions. The government will also invest £15.4 million per year in a programme to help 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system over the next three years.
Lammy said: “Too many young people are being drawn into crime, with devastating consequences for victims, communities and their own futures. These reforms lay the foundation to intervene far earlier, support families, and tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime, creating safer streets and fewer victims.”
The White Paper also proposes a consultation on childhood criminal records, potentially ending the lifelong disclosure requirement for offences committed as a child. Justice minister Jake Richards said the youth justice system “is not working”, while Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza welcomed the reforms. However, shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy criticised the government, saying Labour “don’t have it in their DNA to be tough on crime.”
