Youth justice reforms in Europe in the last 25 years: Diversion, restorative justice and the rejuvenation of juvenile justice

• In Event: Reflections on Juvenile Justice and Youth Crime - Special Panel Celebrating 25 Years of ESC

Abstract

The last 25 years showed significant changes in youth justice legislation and practice. The Council of Europe’s recommendations of 2003 (“New ways of dealing with juvenile delinquency …”) and 2008 (European Rules for Juveniles Subject to Sanctions or Measures) were mark stones for developing human rights and evidence based reforms, which strengthened the rights of juvenile offenders in criminal procedures and furthered diversionary and restorative justice oriented measures. The child first approach in the UK as well as restorative justice oriented reforms in many countries (e.g. Belgium, Estonia, Georgia, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland) revealed a new dynamic, which may be characterised as a rejuvenation of the traditional values of youth justice. At the same time developmental psychological and neuro-science evidence led to extend the formerly limitation of youth justice interventions to young adult offenders (i. e. the age group of over 18-years-old offenders up to the age of 21 or even beyond, see the law reform in the Netherlands of 2014: up to 23 years) and thus to widen the scope of youth justice considerably. The paper will summarize recent youth policy developments and present the background for juvenile justice reforms with a special focus on restorative justice measures.

Author

• Frieder Dunkel, Professor, Greifswald University