Criminal Proceedings: Children
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which jurisdictions and international comparators David Ormerod will look at as part of his report into the function and purpose of criminal courts for child defendants.
Answered by Jake Richards
On 18 May 2026, the Government announced the appointment of Professor David Ormerod CBE, KC (Hon) as Expert Adviser to examine the future of criminal courts for children. This work will begin in June 2026 and is expected to report by August 2027.
The Terms of Reference for this work has been published: Future of criminal courts for children: Terms of Reference - GOV.UK. As set out in these Terms, the work will include looking at what can be learned from approaches in other jurisdictions and international comparators. It will be a matter for Professor Ormerod to determine which specific jurisdictions and international comparators in due course.
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