Do young people ever go to the adult court?
Sometimes. If they break the law in serious ways like committing armed robbery. And if they’ve been charged with a less serious traffic offence. If a young person breaks the law in a serious way, the first step is to go to the Youth Court so a judge can decide if there’s enough evidence to carry on with the case. This is called a preliminary hearing. If the judge (or sometimes justices of the peace) decides there’s enough evidence, or if the young person agrees they broke the law, the judge might offer to let them stay in the Youth Court. Otherwise, their case will go to an adult court for a trial by jury. If the judge gives them a choice, the young person can decide whether they want their case heard in the Youth Court or the adult court. If a young person is charged with murder or manslaughter, the preliminary hearing will still be held in the Youth Court, but the judge can’t let them choose where to have a hearing their case has to be heard in the High Court, the same as adults. If
