Basic Legal Knowledge
Procedures during criminal hearings
Juvenile Court
Arresting procedure, my rights and obligations
Free or subsidized legal assistance
Protection for victims
Punishment and sentencing options
Criminal records and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance
Sentencing
The following sentencing option or a combination of the following options are available to the Juvenile Court:
- Dismissing the charge;
- Discharging the offender on his entering into a recognizance;
- Imposing a Probation Order;
- Order that the offender be delivered to his parent, guardian or nearest adult relative, or if the offender is an apprentice or servant, to his master or mistress or, if the offender is a pupil, to the person in charge of the school at which the offender is attending, on such parent, guardian, relative, master, mistress or person in charge of a school executing a bond, with or without sureties, that he will be responsible for the good behaviour and also, if the magistrate thinks it necessary, for the proper education of the offender for any period not exceeding 12 month;
- If the offender is in need of care and protection, imposing a care and protection order as under section 34 of the Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance (Chapter 213) such as appointing the Director of Social Welfare to be the legal guardian of the offender;
- Sending the offender to a Reformatory School;
- By ordering the offender or his parent or guardian to pay a fine, damages, or costs;
Note: Damages shall be awarded as compensation for personal injury sustained by the victim and/or loss or damage to property, but the compensation shall not exceed $5,000. - By ordering the parent or the guardian of the offender to give a surety for the good behavior of the offender;
- By committing the offender to custody in a place of detention;
- Sending the offender to a Training Centre or Rehabilitation Centre;
- If the offender is male, sending him to a Detention Centre;
- Provided that the Court finds that the options listed cannot be dealt with for the offender, the Court can deal with the case in any other manner such as imposing a Community Service Order or if the offender is a drug addict, sending the offender to a Drug Addiction Treatment Centre.