Part III MANDATORY AND DISCRETIONARY REFERRAL OF YOUNG OFFENDERS

Youth offender panels

22 Attendance at panel meetings.

(1)

The specified team shall, in the case of each meeting of the panel established for the offender, notify—

(a)

the offender, and

(b)

any person to whom an order under section 20 above applies,

of the time and place at which he is required to attend that meeting.

(2)

If the offender fails to attend any part of such a meeting the panel may—

(a)

adjourn the meeting to such time and place as it may specify; or

(b)

end the meeting and refer the offender back to the appropriate court;

and subsection (1) above shall apply in relation to any such adjourned meeting.

F1(2A)

If—

(a)

a parent or guardian of the offender fails to comply with an order under section 20 above (requirement to attend the meetings of the panel), and

(b)

the offender is aged under 18 at the time of the failure,

the panel may refer that parent or guardian to a youth court acting for the petty sessions area in which it appears to the panel that the offender resides or will reside.

(3)

One person aged 18 or over chosen by the offender, with the agreement of the panel, shall be entitled to accompany the offender to any meeting of the panel (and it need not be the same person who accompanies him to every meeting).

(4)

The panel may allow to attend any such meeting—

(a)

any person who appears to the panel to be a victim of, or otherwise affected by, the offence, or any of the offences, in respect of which the offender was referred to the panel;

(b)

any person who appears to the panel to be someone capable of having a good influence on the offender.

(5)

Where the panel allows any such person as is mentioned in subsection (4)(a) above (“the victim”) to attend a meeting of the panel, the panel may allow the victim to be accompanied to the meeting by one person chosen by the victim with the agreement of the panel.