New Legislation for Juvenile Justice System Coming

As we reported on Thursday, new legislation governing the juvenile justice system will be introduced at next week’s House Meeting by the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.  The Minister who holds the portfolio on that matter, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia explained to News Five what the changes will mean.

Dolores Balderamos Garcia

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“We will repeal the Certified Institutions Act and then the other two Bills that we’re putting forward are what you call consequential; we will amend the juvenile Offenders Act to change the wording from “Certified Institution” to “Residential Care Facility.” So the amendments to the Juvenile Offenders Act and the Families and Children’s Act is so that those Acts don’t refer to the Certified Institutions Act but will now refer to what is called a residential care facility. So really, it’s the repeal of a particular Act and the consequential legislation is the amendment to those other pieces of legislation – the Juvenile Offenders Act and the Families and Children’s Act. And the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly said it’s called Consequential Legislation and basically it’s very straightforward. All we do is change the wording in the Consequential legislation but the main wording is doing what I call a significant paradigm shift away from certified institution and we will now refer to the Hostel, which we will rename shortly as well – as a residential care facility.”