Youth Justice

The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal against sentence by an individual who was only 14 years of age when he murdered a mother-of-two at the International Financial Services Centre in 2021. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Ms Justice Iseult O’Malley determined: “A sentencing

The Supreme Court has determined that the anonymity rules in respect of child offenders under s.93 of the Children Act 2001 continue to apply where majority is attained during the criminal process and last beyond the conclusion of the proceedings. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Ms Justic

The Supreme Court has handed down two significant rulings concerning the sentencing and anonymity of young offenders. Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley gave the judgments in the separate cases of DPP v CC & anor [2025] IESC 11 and DPP v PB [2025] IESC 12 yesterday.

Rape and murder trials involving victims and defendants under the age of 18 are to be expedited under a new protocol. The wide-ranging new juvenile protocol was launched at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Friday evening by justice minister Jim O'Callaghan.

The new headquarters of Northern Ireland's Youth Justice Agency (YJA) have been officially opened. Naomi Long, the justice minister, yesterday cut the ribbon at the new facilities at Charles House, Donegall Street, Belfast, which will also house the Youth Justice Services Belfast Area Team.

Four new youth diversion projects (YDPs) in Monaghan, Wicklow, Cork and Mayo are to receive funding of at least €1.5 million this year, the government has announced. YDPs work with young people at risk of crime and anti-social behaviour to divert them away from criminal behaviour and towards be

Youth diversion projects for under-18s could be extended to young adults aged up to 24 years old under proposals explored in a new government report. A discussion paper published to coincide with a one-day conference on youth justice at Croke Park suggests establishing a system similar to the Garda

The number of young Catholics in custody in Northern Ireland appears to be disproportionately high, new research suggests. A 32-page report produced by researchers at Queen's University Belfast for the Department of Justice notes that 63 per cent of children in custody in 2018/2019 self-identified a

Northern Ireland's Youth Justice Agency (YJA) has published its corporate plan for 2022–25, which sets out its planned work to prevent children from being drawn into the criminal justice system. Justice minister Naomi Long launched the corporate plan during a visit to Woodlands Juvenile Justic

Children's rights in Northern Ireland are being compromised by a failure to implement recommendations made by a youth justice review more than a decade ago, according to a new report. The Children's Law Centre, Include Youth, NIACRO and Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC) commissioned youth justi

Research commissioned by Northern Ireland's Youth Justice Agency (YJA) will establish "if and why" children and young people from a Catholic background are more likely to be detained in custody. Around three-quarters of young offenders held in Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre are from a Catholic ba

A six-year youth justice strategy aimed at diverting children and young adults who commit a crime away from further offending and involvement with the criminal justice system has been launched. The Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027, developed by a steering group since 2019, is designed to provide a d

There is "patchy" evidence of progress on reform of the youth justice system in Northern Ireland, a new report has warned. The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) has published a follow-up report considering progress made by the Department of Justice and Youth Justice Agency (YJA) since a highly cr

A bail supervision scheme which offers an alternative to remand detention for young people charged with criminal offences has been extended to courts in Cork and Limerick. Children's Minister Dr Katherine Zappone has signed a contract with Extern for the continuation and expansion of the Bail S

Most offenders in youth diversion programmes are complying with restrictions introduced to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study. Researchers at University of Limerick are examining how young people participating in Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDP) are responding to the COVI