An amendment made to the Criminal Justice & Courts Bill has closed an historic legal anomaly, which meant that 17-year-olds were not given the same rights as other children in police custody.
The move means arrested 17-year-olds will have to be transferred to local authority accommodation, rather than being detained at police stations overnight as currently happens.
The government had previously made efforts to improve protection for 17-year-olds in custody: last October, police codes of practice were changed to require an appropriate adult be called to help a 17-year-old in custody.
Further changes mean a person responsible for the welfare of the 17-year-old, such as a parent or guardian, are now informed that they have been detained.
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