Children & Proceedings

In relation to proceedings against a child or where a child is a witness in proceedings, no report which reveals the name, address or school of the child or includes any particulars likely to lead to his identification, and no picture which purports to be or include a picture of the child which is likely […]

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Child Conference

Family Welfare Conference A Children and Family Welfare conference may be held on the direction of the Children’s Court or at the initiative of the Health Authority (HSE). The Health Authority (HSE) appoints a person as coordinator to convene the family welfare conference, and he or she acts as chairman. The purpose of a family […]

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Juvenile Justice

A court dealing with charges against children must have regard to the principle that children have rights and freedom before the law equal to those enjoyed by adults and, in particular, a right to be heard and to participate in any proceedings of the court that can affect them.  They must respect the principle that […]

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Community Sanctions I

Community Sanctions include any one or more of the following: a Community Service Order; a Day Centre Order; a Probation Order; a Training or Activities Order; a Probation Intensive Supervision Order; a Probation Residential Supervision Order; a Suitable Person (care and supervision) Order; a Mentor (family support) Order; a Restriction of Movement Order; a Dual […]

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Community Sanctions II

A Mentor (Family Support) Order is facilitated through the Le Cheile Monitoring Project.  It is a community sanction with additional requirements by which the Court assigns a person, who may be a relative to help and advise the child and support the child’s family to monitor overall behaviour, in order to help the child avoid […]

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Child Penal Detention

A child may be detained by the Court to a detention centre or formerly St.  Patrick’s Institution.  Detention is intended to be a last resort.  Detention school seeks to follow a model of care education and rehabilitation. See the other sections in respect of the very wide range of community sanctions, which are intended as […]

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Offences by Children

The Children’s Act provides for nondisclosure of offences committed by children after a lapse of three years.  It does not apply to offences tried by Central Criminal Court.  It applies when the offence was committed when the person was under the age of 18. The person must not have been dealt with for an offence in […]

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Detention of Children

Detention Centres A child, who is convicted of an offence, cannot receive a period of detention which would be greater than the period of detention or imprisonment that an adult could receive for the same offence. The Children’s (Amendment) Act 2015 deals with the detention of children.  The three children detention centres in the State […]

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