Draft Code of Practice for Youth Conditional Cautions

Results updated 9 Jan 2013

This document is the post-consultation report for the consultation paper, Draft Code of Practice for Youth Conditional Cautions, and the Revised Draft Code of Practice.

Youth conditional cautions were introduced by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, Section 48, which inserted Section 66G into the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.The Code of Practice makes provision for conditional cautions as a means of dealing with young offenders (aged 10-17) in certain circumstances as an alternative to prosecution. It was revised to reflect the changes to conditional cautions made by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and to set out in clearer language certain elements of the existing Code of Practice.

The consultation paper invited views from interested parties on the draft Code of Practice for Youth Conditional Cautions. Several changes have been made to the Code as a result of the consultation process. It will now be laid before Parliament, where once agreed it will come into force by Order.

In addition to the Code of Practice, operational guidance issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions supports the use of conditional cautions. This guidance relates to the current scheme and will be revised to support the new Code of Practice.

The Director's Guidance on Youth Conditional Cautions can be found at www.cps.gov.uk/publications/directors_guidance/youth_conditional_cautions.html

Files:

• Response, 83.6 KB (PDF document)
• Code of Practice for Youth Conditional Cautions, 122.6 KB (PDF document)