“The Politicization of Youth Crime in Scotland and the Rise of the ‘Burberry Court’”

Source: (2006) Youth Justice. Vol 6(1): 43–59

In 2003, the youth justice system in Scotland entered a new phase with the introduction of
a pilot youth court. The processing of persistent 16 and 17 year old (and serious 15 year
olds) represented a stark deviation from a ‘child centred’ and needs-oriented state
apparatus for dealing with young offenders to one based on deeds and individual
responsibility. This article, based on an evaluation funded by the Scottish Executive, is the
first to provide a critical appraisal of this youth justice reform. It examines the views of the
judiciary and young offenders and reveals that the pilot youth court in Scotland represents
a punitive excursion that poses serious concerns for due process, human rights and net
widening.