| Date
| Context
| Summary of development
| Action
|
|---|
|
25.5.00
| PRESS
| The Law Reform Commission (LRC) published the report on "The Age of Criminal Responsibility in Hong Kong" which recommended that -
| the minimum age of criminal responsibility should be raised from seven to 10 years of age; and
| | the rebuttable presumption of doli incapax should continue to apply to children of 10 and below 14 years of age.
| | |
LRC also recommended that that the Administration should conduct a general review on the juvenile justice system. [Press release] [Report]
|
|
|
11/01 to 2/03
| BC
|
The Administration introduced Juvenile Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2001 which proposed to raise the age of criminal responsibility from seven to 10 years of age as recommended by LRC. At the meeting on 16.11.01, the House Committee (HC) agreed to form a bills committee to study the Bill. [Minutes "page 6"]
The Bills Committee suggested that the Administration of Justice and Legal Services Panel (AJLS Panel)Panel should follow up -
| what improvements should be made to the existing juvenile court system and proceedings; and
| | the recommendations of the consultancy study on the review of services for juvenile offenders which was expected to be completed in mid-2003.
| | |
[Relevant extract from Report of the Bills Committee "paragraphs 61 to 69, 73 to 74"] [Other papers of the Bills Committee]
|
|
|
26.5.03
| AJLS
|
The Panel considered the research report on "Operation of Youth Courts in Selected Places" prepared by the Research and Library Services Division of the LegCo Secretariat. [Report]
[Supplementary information]
|
|
|
27.10.03
| AJLS, SE
| The Panels discussed with the Administration on the findings and recommendations made in the "Consultancy Report on Measures Alternative to Prosecution for Handling Unruly Children and Young Persons : Overseas Experiences and Options for Hong Kong" (the Consultancy Report) commissioned by the Security Bureau and prepared by Youth Studies Net, City University of Hong Kong. [Paper]
As the policy issues arising from the review on juvenile justice system straddled the portfolios of different policy bureaux of Government and different Panels of LegCo, the Panels agreed to report to HC and recommended that a subcommittee should be formed under HC to follow up the relevant issues.
|
|
|
7.11.03
| HC
| HC agreed to set up a subcommittee to follow up policy issues arising from the review on juvenile justice system. [Paper] [Minutes "page 6"]
|
|
| 11/03 to 5/04
| SUBC
| SUBC held 5 meetings [Meeting schedules] and reported its deliberations to HC on 25.6.04. [Report]
SUBC recommended that the Administration should report to the relevant Panels on the following issues in the new legislative term -
| the effectiveness of the enhanced support measures introduced by the Administration since October 2003; and
| | the outcome of the review on the development of a new juvenile justice system incorporating the principles and practices of restorative justice.
| | |
| A
|
| 9.3.05
| CQ
| Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG raised a question on development of new juvenile justice system [Hansard "page 107"]
|
|
| 31.08.05
| AJLS
| The Administration provided a paper setting out the progress and effectiveness of the enhanced support measures targeting at unruly children and young offenders. [Paper]
|
|
| 8.11.05
| HA
| HA Panel considered the concluding observations issued by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on 30 September 2005, including the recommendations relating to criminal liability and legal protection of a child. HA Panel agreed that the relevant recommendations should be referred to the AJLS Panel for follow-up. [Paper]
|
|
| 10.5.06
| CQ
| Hon Audrey EU raised a question on child and juvenile delinquency in Hong Kong. [Hansard "page 91"]
|
|
|
23.4.07
| AJLS
| The Panel received views from deputations on the existing measures in handling juvenile offenders and the need for a review of the juvenile justice system.
[Background Brief]
[Paper 1]
[Paper 2]
[Follow-up paper]
|
|
|
25.6.07
| AJLS
| The Panel decided to conclude discussion and make a report to the House Committee.
|
|
|
6.7.07
| HC
| The AJLS Panel made a report on the juvenile justice system to the House Committee.
[Report]
|
|
