The first phase, which closed on 21 July, attracted around 1,500 responses, 80 per cent of which were in support of hearings.
The Scottish Executive now plans to draw up more detailed proposals and will put them out for the second phase of consultation later this year.
The review of the hearings system was launched in April by Scotland's education minister, Peter Peacock. Children's hearings deal with cases of both offending and child welfare, but the balance has shifted greatly in recent years towards care and protection, placing more strain on social workers.
Last year the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration, which oversees the children's hearings system, recorded 37,727 referrals, more than double the number recorded in 1971, the system's first year of operation.
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