Children and Young Persons Act 1969

8 Finger-printing of suspected young persons

(1) If a police officer not below the rank of inspector makes an application on oath to a justice stating—

(a) that there is evidence sufficient to justify the laying of an information that a young person has or is suspected of having committed an offence punishable with imprisonment in the case of an adult; and

(b) that with a view to deciding, in accordance with section 5 of this Act, whether the information should be laid it is appropriate in the opinion of the officer for an order under subsection (2) of this section to be made in respect of the young person,

the justice may if he thinks fit issue a summons or warrant for the purpose of securing the attendance of the young person before a magistrates' court with a view to the making of such an order in respect of him.

(2) The court before which a young person appears in pursuance of a summons or warrant under the preceding subsection may if it thinks fit order his finger and palm prints to be taken by a constable.

(3) Subsections (2) and (4) of section 40 of the [1952 c. 55.] Magistrates' Courts Act 1952 (which respectively relate to the taking and destruction of finger and palm prints) shall have effect as if references to an order under that section included references to an order under the preceding subsection and, in relation to an order under the preceding subsection, as if for the words from " remanded " to " committed " in subsection (2) there were substituted the words " lawfully detained at any place, at that place " and as if the reference to acquittal in subsection (4) included a reference to a finding of a court that the condition set out in section 1(2)(f) of this Act is not satisfied in consequence of the offence specified in the application mentioned in subsection (1) of this section.