Is maturity considered in the magistrate's court?

23 May 2024

Our sons and daughters: Is maturity considered in the magistrate’s court?

Courts and sentencing, Young adults

Open report

This report examines whether maturity is taken into account during court hearings based on the observations of almost 200 hearings involving a young adult defendant.

Publisher: Transform Justice
Authors: Fionnuala Ratcliffe, Penelope Gibbs

prison, young adults

Raise the Bars: Co-producing practice guidance with Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller people

This Friends, Families and Travellers report summarises focus groups with 57 Romany, Gypsy and Irish Traveller young adults across 20 prisons, with recommendations for reform based on their experiences.

Criminal Justice, young adults

Behind the decline

This Centre for Crime and Justice Studies report looks at the shrinking young adult population within the criminal justice system who are experiencing increasingly harsher treatment.

May 2026

Our sons and daughters: Is maturity considered in the magistrate’s court?

Raise the Bars: Co-producing practice guidance with Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller people

Behind the decline

Reimagining justice for children and young adults