The orders can be used against members of the public from the age of 10 upwards and are administered by the police, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and local councils.
Paddy Kelly, director of the Children's Law Centre, said: "The consultation process was interrupted after three months by the Northern Ireland crime minister, who announced that the orders were set to come in. They have steamrollered the rights of young people." Young people's group Include Youth also attacked the introduction of the new laws.
But a Northern Ireland Office spokeswoman said that youth groups had been consulted over a period of 18 weeks. "The order was also debated in Parliament and passed by both the Commons and the Lords," she added.
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is carrying out an investigation into the consultation process following complaints by rights groups.
