In a landmark judgment in April, judges Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Kenneth Parker ruled that treating 17-year-olds at the police station in the same way as adults is unlawful.
Police are currently obliged to contact a parent or an “appropriate adult” to offer support and advice for young people in custody aged 16 or under, but not for 17-year-olds, unless the young person is deemed to be “vulnerable”.
The Home Office accepted the court's judgment and has been working over the summer to amend codes of practice.
The main proposed change is to require an appropriate adult to be called to help a 17-year-old in police custody, and for a person responsible for the welfare of the 17-year-old, such as a parent or guardian, to be informed of their status as a detainee.
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