Children's Panels 'Under Threat'; Care Review Will Criminalise Needy Youngsters, Say Critics

Summary

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A PLANNED review of the children's hearing system will come too late for many Scottish youngsters, critics claim, because they will already have been criminalised by the Scottish Executive's Antisocial Behaviour Bill.

Ministers will launch the wide-ranging review of the Scottish youth justice system on Thursday, hailing it as a major national debate on the way Scotland cares for its vulnerable young people.

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Extract

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Children's Panels 'Under Threat'; Care Review Will Criminalise Needy Youngsters, Say Critics

But critics have objected to the nature of the project, which some say undermines the system's approach of addressing the needs, rather than misdeeds, of children in trouble.

An Executive spokesman said that every Scot would have a say in the review, to "ensure the key principles underpinning the hearings a...

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