Why are there differences between the Magistrates Court and the Youth Court?
A. These differences exist because the accused is under 18 and the underlying philosophy of the youth court is that the welfare of the young person is paramount. In the past young offenders received cruel treatment, things have progressed so that it is the job of the court to look after the welfare of the young person and not simply to punish them. For this reason the proceedings are less formal and all the above mentioned differences are in place, although the proceedings of a trial still follow a similar structure to that of the adult court.
