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Events · Howard League events

Preventing the criminalisation of children in care

  • Date: 17 Oct 2017

  • Location: Garden Court Chambers 57–60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3LJ

Preventing the criminalisation of children in care

The event was held on Tuesday 17 October 2017, 6.30–8pm

Panel

  • Judy Khan QC, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
  • Dr Laura Janes, legal director, Howard League for Penal Reform
  • Claire Sands, youth justice researcher
  • Mel Stooks, criminal law solicitor, GT Stewart
  • Heather Thomas, family law solicitor, Creighton and Partners Solicitors

It is well established that children in care are more likely to be in or on the edge of the criminal justice system. Whilst criminal and family law processes can determine what happens to them, the two disciplines are fundamentally different in nature.

This session explored how family, community care and crime practitioners can work together to help keep children out of the criminal justice system and to achieve better outcomes for them.

The Howard League presented its research and legal work as part of its two-year programme of work to end the criminalisation of children living in residential children’s homes. This will included case studies on how children in care get sucked into the criminal justice system and examples of best practice to prevent their unnecessary criminalisation.

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