Youth Court Bench Book
The Youth Court Bench Book (YCBB) provides guidance for magistrates who sit in the youth court dealing with defendants under the age of 18. It is used for reference at court and to support consistent training.
The YCBB is supplemented by national sentencing guidelines, checklists and pronouncement cards, available via the Pronouncement Builder (external link).
These help magistrates undertake the task of decision making in a fair and structured manner. The Youth Court Pronouncement Builder assists magistrates to explain their decisions fully and clearly.
Latest edition
The latest edition of the YCBB (dated January 2024) has been updated to reflect the changes to case management (including updates to the Criminal Procedure Rules 2020 made in October 2023). It can be read below.