Youth Criminal Justice Act

The Youth Criminal Justice Act is a piece of legislation that replaced the Young Offenders Act in 2003.   The Youth Criminal Justice Act was implemented with the purpose of protecting society long-term.   The act sets out way to promote protection, as it addresses the circumstances of underlying behavior and rather then punishment it takes measures to impact rehabilitation.   The Youth Criminal Justice Act covers those aged 12-17 and 364 days, and has many other characteristics in place to protect Canada’s youth.

On the one hand, the Youth Criminal Justice Act should remain as is, because it is a useful tool in the rehabilitation of youth.   The rehabilitation of youth can be more effective then simply sentencing a youth to serve jail time.   Rehab can reach into the youth’s life and fix or help to fix the problems in a person’s life.   It may also help to reduce crime and keep the youth from repeating crimes and old behaviors.   The Youth Criminal Justice Act protects the youth from unequal punishment.   According to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 15, “Every individual is equal under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination…”   However, not every case should be handled the same, as a youth is not an adult and therefore should not be treated as one.   Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, they have the right to equal protection and benefit from the law and Rehabilitation is the right punishment for them.    
However, the main purpose of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is the rehabilitate; it is often thought by society that, in many cases, youth get off to easily.   Over the years it seems as if the court systems have gone soft, as they rarely hand out lengthy sentences.   In the case of R. V. P.N. and D.C., two boys preceded to beat another boy, J.S., by kicking and punching him repeatedly in the head and face.   The boys left the scene of the crime but then returned later and dragged the body into...