Its decision comes despite a High Court ruling in April that treating 17-year-olds at the police station in the same way as adults is unlawful, prompting claims that the government is leaving itself open to a fresh legal challenge.
The Home Office has however made come concessions. It has changed existing codes of police practice to address the legal anomaly that an appropriate adult does not need to be called to help a 17-year-old in police custody.
Meanwhile, a person responsible for the welfare of the 17-year-old, such as a parent or guardian, will also have to be informed that they have been detained.
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