Human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy is well aware of the debate about whether young people should be locked up.
She is president of the National Children's Bureau and once represented an 11-year-old who was standing trial for the murder of their baby brother.
She has also represented a 15-year-old boy accused of murder and says juries certainly don't see young people such as this as children, but points out that inside they are still "part-child". She adds: "That, if anything, helped convince me young people shouldn't be locked up."
Her comments came at the launch of Shape, a consortium of five children's charities plus crime-reduction charity Nacro, set up to help change the way people think about youth crime (see YPN, 30 July-5 August).
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
