Member

This is a Labour Government, many of whose members are lawyers who have campaigned for the rights of children caught up in the criminal justice system, but that does not alter our responsibility also to look after the rights and needs of victims. I want to make it clear that the primary objective of this Government is to prevent children offending in the first place. However, where crimes are committed, it is important that the police and the courts have effective tools available to tackle them, and we ask your Lordships to bear in mind that sometimes a youth justice intervention can be effective at breaking the cycle of persistent offending, providing the child with the support they need to address the root causes of the offending.