Approach of the Act

The Youth Criminal Justice Act begins with a Preamble. The Preamble is a statement from Canada’s Parliament about the values that the Youth Criminal Justice Act reflects.

The following are some of the important statements in the Preamble:

• Society is responsible for addressing the needs and challenges of youth as they develop into adults.
• Communities, families, parents and others should work together to prevent youth crime by addressing basic risk factors that may lead to crime, by responding to the needs of youth and by providing guidance and support.
• Information about youth justice, youth crime and what works in reducing youth crime should be available to the public.
• Youth have rights and freedoms guaranteed to them through the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Bill of Rights. It also recognizes that Canada has signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
• Canada’s youth criminal justice system should:
  • command respect;
  • take into account the interests of the victims;
  • promote responsibility and ensure accountability through meaningful consequences and effective rehabilitation and reintegration;
  • use the most serious interventions only for the most serious crimes;
  • decrease the use of incarceration for non-violent youth.

The flowchart on the opposite page describes the overall process of the youth criminal justice system. It shows what steps might be taken in regards to a youth whom the police have reasonable grounds to believe has broken the law. This handbook includes information to explain the youth justice process. It also shows where and how within this system, the Youth Criminal Justice Act offers choices to both the youth and the legal authorities.