Youth Court Bench Book and Pronouncement Builder

CriminalMagistrates' courtBench Book

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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 Bench Book is supplemented by national sentencing guidelines, checklists and pronouncement cards, available via the Pronouncement Builder. 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.

The latest edition of the YCBB (dated May 2023) has been updated to reflect:

  • The changes to the surcharge amounts payable
  • Case management
  • The changes to detention and training orders introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
  • The changes to youth rehabilitation orders introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
  • The changes to youth sentencing introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
  • The renaming of the Youth Offending Team (YOT)/Youth Offending Services (YOS) to Youth Justice Services (YJS).

In addition, where possible, hyperlinks have been included.

The latest update to the Youth Court Pronouncement Cards (YCPC) (dated January 2023) includes amendments to the pronouncements for Detention and Training Orders and remands to youth detention. All cards have been updated to refer to the renaming of the Youth Offending Service/Teams (YOS/YOT) to Youth Justice Services (YJS). The cards for Reparation Orders and Individual Support Order cards have been removed, as they are no longer required.

Please note: The PDF format of the YCPCs is being discontinued. From 15 May 2023, pronouncement wording will only be available via the Pronouncement Builder on the Sentencing Council website.

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