Center for Civic Education (CCE) published a brochure “The position of juveniles in criminal proceedings – from prevention to reintegration ” that h provides a brief overview of international instruments in the field of criminal procedure against juveniles.
The brochure addresses all stages of the proceedings – from the one before trial (investigation, detention), through trials, decision-making to the execution of sanctions, where the emphasis is on alternative measures as well as types of institutional measures. These are guidelines for holders of judicial office, who have juvenile cases in their portfolio, and who should be guided from the moment the juvenile is arrested until the sentence.
Special attention is given to the part of alternative measures in order to encourage the judicial system to develop a wide range of these measures, from those before the initiation of criminal proceedings to those after the verdict. Also, part of the brochure deals with the treatment of the rights of minors within the institution, as one of the most sensitive issues in this area.
During the preparation of the brochure, all relevant international instruments related to this area were used as sources. These included the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules), the UN Standard Minimum Rules for Measures Alternative to Institutional Treatment (Tokyo Rules), the UN Rules on the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty (Havana Rules) and UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines).
The brochure is part of the efforts of the CCE to contribute to improving the criminal policy approach of this vulnerable group, and is produced through the project “The position of juveniles in criminal proceedings from prevention to reintegration” implemented by the CCE with the support of the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights.
Vasilije Radulović , Programme Associate