There’s been an increase in T&T of criminal matters involving children, ages seven to under 18, says Attorney General Garvin Nicholas.
He made the point yesterday in piloting a bill to enact a special High Court Division to deal with children known as the Children’s Court. This will avoid mixing Family Court matters with Children’s Court issues.
The Children’s Court focuses on child care issues, drug matters regarding children, child charges, care and protection of the child and any matter in which a child appears in court. These include those pertaining to the dissolution of marriage, maintenance, wardship, custody, adoption of children, abduction and the like.
Under the bill a child can also file a domestic violence order, Nicholas said.
In some cases the Court would be allowed to appoint an attorney for a child if need be.
A Peer Resolution Centre will also be utiltised with first-time offenders to subject them to a court-like atmosphere where their peers will judge them. The practice is used internationally to acquaint first-time offenders with their alleged infraction, how it affects them and their victims, as well as other factors in the situation.
Nicholas said when children were taken before the court they entered the criminal system and the system had become a revolving door for some. He said disturbing incidents had shown that child offenders in T&T needed more support.
He cited reports of a 13-year-old charged with arson and four schoolboys charged with rape. “This legislation is therefore timely.”
The court will be able to sit in any location via video conferencing and two structures will be built in San Fernando and Tobago over the next two years.
High Court judges and masters of the High Court will staff the new court. Reporting of processes in the new court is barred as is reporting of names of children and judgments. Nicholas said the bill was formulated with local consultation, as well as in consultation with specialists from the UK, US, New Zealand and Jamaica.
Nicholas said the bill was another aspect of the PP’s “child-centric” focus, and was among the PP’s measures to support children.