Stage in juvenile court proceedings in which arguments, testimony, and evidence are presented to determine whether a youth actually committed the alleged offense.

The adult criminal justice system consists of the laws, procedures, professionals, authorities and institutions that apply to witnesses and victims, and to adults alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having committed a criminal offence.

According to the 40 (4) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a variety of dispositions, such as care, guidance and supervision orders; counselling; probation; foster care; education and vocational training programmes and other alternatives to institutional care shall be available to ensure that children are dealt with in a manner appropriate to their well-being and proportionate both to their circumstances and the offence.

'Assault' may be understood to mean physical attack against the body of another person, including battery but excluding indecent assault. Some criminal or penal codes distinguish between aggravated assault and simple assault, depending on the degree of resulting injury.

'Automobile theft' may be understood to mean the removal of a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner of the vehicle.

United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice - Adopted by General Assembly resolution 40/33of 29 November 1985. These broad fundamental perspectives refer to comprehensive social policy in general and aim at promoting juvenile welfare to the greatest possible extent, which will minimize the necessity of intervention by the juvenile justice system, and in turn, will reduce the harm that may be caused by any intervention. Such care measures for the young, before the onset of delinquency, are basic policy requisites designed to obviate the need for the application of the Rules.

'Burglary' may be understood to mean unlawful entry into someone else’s premises with the intention to commit a crime.

A child is charged with an offence where the police, a law enforcement authority, the public prosecutor or a competent authority formally accuses him or her of having committed a specific offence.

According to the General Comment no 12 (2009) the Right of the Child to Be Heard states that the views expressed by children may add relevant perspectives and experience and should be considered in decision-making, policymaking and preparation of laws and/or measures as well as their evaluation. These processes are usually called participation. The exercise of the child’s or children’s right to be heard is a crucial element of such processes. The concept of participation emphasizes that including children should not only be a momentary act, but the starting point for an intense exchange between children and adults on the development of policies, programmes and measures in all relevant contexts of children’s lives.

All citizens have the right to participate in the workings of democratic society and children as full rights holders are no exception.. Children's participation means the right of children to be heard and involved in decision making, whether at home, in the general life of the community, at school or in individual legal and administrative matters that concern them.

"33. Communities should provide, or strengthen where they exist, a wide range of community-based support measures for young persons, including community development centres, recreational facilities and services to respond to the special problems of children who are at social risk. In providing these helping measures, respect for individual rights should be ensured."

"21.4. 'community sanctions or measures' means any sanction or measure other than a detention measure which maintains juveniles in the community and involves some restrictions of their liberty through the imposition of conditions and/or obligations, and which is implemented by bodies designated by law for that purpose. The term designates any sanction imposed by a judicial or administrative authority and any measure taken before or instead of a decision on a sanction, as well as ways of enforcing a sentence of imprisonment outside a prison establishment."

The competent authority is the part of the juvenile justice or adult criminal justice system that is responsible for making procedural or disposition decisions regarding a child's case.

One who presides over courts or tribunals (composed of a single judge or of several members), including professional and lay magistrates as well as administrative boards (for example the Scottish and Scandinavian systems) or other more informal community and conflict-resolution agencies of an adjudicatory nature.

Predetermined division of a whole within which lawful authority may be exercised- its limits may be geographic as well as by type, subject or seriousness of a case.

A child is in conflict with the law where he or she has committed or has been accused of having committed an offence. Depending upon the local context, children may also be in conflict with the law where they are dealt with by the juvenile justice or adult criminal justice system for reason of being considered to be in danger by virtue of their behaviour or the environment in which they live.

Prevention involving local government, schools, parents and citizens, police and justice agencies and the private sector.

Programs involving the community in planning, funding and implementing crime prevention activities.

According to Beijing Rules, the minimum age of criminal responsibility differs widely owing to history and culture. The modern approach would be to consider whether a child can live up to the moral and psychological components of criminal responsibility; that is, whether a child, by virtue of her or his individual discernment and understanding, can be held responsible for essentially antisocial behaviour. If the age of criminal responsibility is fixed too low or if there is no lower age limit at all, the notion of responsibility would become meaningless. In general, there is a close relationship between the notion of responsibility for delinquent or criminal behaviour and other social rights and responsibilities (such as marital status, civil majority, etc.). Efforts should therefore be made to agree on a reasonable lowest age limit that is applicable internationally.

The the General Comment no. 10 (2007) Children's rights in juvenile justice, has established that children who commit an offence at an age below that minimum cannot be held responsible in a penal law procedure. Even (very) young children do have the capacity to infringe the penal law but if they commit an offence when below the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsability the irrefutable assumption is that they cannot be formally charged and held responsible in a penal law procedure. For these children special protective measures can be taken if necessary in their best interests.

A child is deprived of liberty where he or she is placed in any form of detention or imprisonment in a public or private setting, from which the child is not permitted, by order of any competent authority, to leave at will.

A child is diverted where he or she is in conflict with the law but has their case resolved through alternatives, without recourse to the usual formal hearing before the relevant competent authority. To benefit from diversion, the child and/or his or her parents or guardian must consent to the diversion of the child.s case. Diversion may involve measures based on the principles of restorative justice.

The conduct of legal proceedings according to established principles and rules which safeguard the position of the individual charged. The term, the meaning of which varies with time and place, basically suggests fundamental fairness and tries to apply that concept to all parts of the criminal process.

It means to have the matter determined without delay by a competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body in a fair hearing according to law, in the presence of legal or other appropriate assistance and, unless it is considered not to be in the best interest of the child, in particular, taking into account his or her age or situation, his or her parents or legal guardians.

Effective practices that promote community safety and reduce crime in urban settings includes knowledge about a range of practices. Many of these programmes are effectively targeted to young people most at risk, or those living in areas of high risk and range from early childhood interventions, educational programmes, youth leadership, mediation and job and skills training to rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. To prevent violent behaviour and address delinquency, communities have to adopt strategies that combine such actions as prevention and intervention, as well as suppression.

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties, customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. International human rights law lays down obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups.

The restoration of an optimum state of health by medical, psychological, social, and peer group support for a chemically dependent person, a person disabled by an accident or illness. Can also refer to the psychosocial rehabilitation process as applied to delinquents during or after emprisonment.

'Intentional homicide' may be understood to mean death deliberately inflicted on a person by another person, including infanticide.

A juvenile is every person under the age of 18. The age limit below which it should not be permitted to deprive a child of his or her liberty should be determined by law;The deprivation of liberty means any form of detention or imprisonment or the placement of a person in a public or private custodial setting, from which this person is not permitted to leave at will, by order of any judicial, administrative or other public authority.

Juvenile delinquency covers a range of different violations of legal and social norms, ranging from minor offences to severe crimes committed by minors. Quite often youth take advantage of illegal opportunities and get involved in crime, substance abuse and violent acts against others, especially their peers. Statistically young people constitute the most criminally active segment of the population, although eventually most young people will desist from criminal and deviant activity.

A juvenile offender is a child or young person who is alleged to have committed or who has been found to have committed an offence.

The process by which the victim and the offender are given the opportunity to meet, voluntarily and in a neutral, safe, confidential and structured setting, in the presence of a trained mediator, with the objective that the offender recognizes the impact of the damage caused and takes responsibility for it, building a joint (victim-offender) action plan in order to deal with this and repair the said damages.

Electronic device worn at the wrist or at the ankle and used to track the movements of persons who have committeed crimes, or to verify the use by an individual of substances such as alcohol. Variants: (1) electronic monitoring bracelet; (2) electronic tracking bracelet; (3) tracking bracelet; (4) electronic ankle bracelet; (5) electronic wrist bracelet; (6) parole bracelet; (7) ankle bracelet.

According to Article 40 (2) (a) of CRC affirms that the rule that no one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence, under national or international law, at the time it was committed is also applicable to children (see also article 15 of ICCPR). It means that no child can be charged with or sentenced under the penal law for acts or omissions which at the time they were committed were not prohibited under national or international law. In the light of the fact that many States parties have recently strengthened and/or expanded their criminal law provisions to prevent and combat terrorism, the Committee recommends that States parties ensure that these changes do not result in retroactive or unintended punishment of children. The Committee also wishes to remind States parties that the rule that no heavier penalty shall be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time when the criminal offence was committed, as expressed in article 15 of ICCPR, is in the light of article 41 of CRC, applicable to children in the States parties to ICCPR. No child shall be punished with a heavier penalty than the one applicable at the time of his/her infringement of the penal law. But if a change of law after the act provides for a lighter penalty, the child should benefit from this change.

'Non-intentional homicide' may be understood to mean death not deliberately inflicted on a person by another person. That includes the crime of manslaughter but excludes traffic accidents that result in the death of persons.

'Parole' may be understood to mean conditional release of a prisoner whereby the individual is allowed to serve the remainder of the sentence outside the prison, assuming that all the terms of that release are met.

'Persons prosecuted' may be understood to mean alleged offenders prosecuted by means of an official charge, initiated by the public prosecutor or the law enforcement agency responsible for prosecution.

Means all national policy instruments pertaining to children in conflict with the law, including executive orders and ministerial documents.

According to Rihad Guidelines on prevention of juvenile delinquency is an essential part of crime prevention in society. By engaging in lawful, socially useful activities and adopting a humanistic orientation towards society and outlook on life, young persons can develop non-criminogenic attitudes. The successful prevention of juvenile delinquency requires efforts on the part of the entire society to ensure the harmonious development of adolescents, with respect for and promotion of their personality from early childhood.

Prevention involves the active creation of an environment that deters children from conflict with the law. Such an environment should ensure for the child a meaningful life in the community and foster a process of personal development and education that is as free from crime as possible.

Prisons, penal institutions or correctional institutions may be understood to mean all public and privately financed institutions where persons are deprived of their liberty. The institutions may include, but are not limited to, penal, correctional, or psychiatric facilities under prison administration.

A probation officer is the government official responsible for supervising a period of probation. He or she is often in charge of conducting an assessment of the child and referring him or her to appropriate counselling, education and reintegration programmes.

The Beijing Rules establish that the "juvenile justice system shall emphasize the well-being of the juvenile and shall ensure that any reaction to juvenile offenders shall always be in proportion to the circumstances of both the offenders and the offence." The second objective is 'the principle of proportionality'. This principle is well-known as an instrument for curbing punitive sanctions, mostly expressed in terms of just deserts in relation to the gravity of the offence. The response to young offenders should be based on the consideration not only of the gravity of the offence but also of personal circumstances. The individual circumstances of the offender (for example social status, family situation, the harm caused by the offence or other factors affecting personal circumstances) should influence the proportionality of the reactions (for example by having regard to the offender's endeavour to indemnify the victim or to her or his willingness to turn to wholesome and useful life).

A public disorder offence is an offence involving a breach of the peace or a public nuisance.

A tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially relapse into criminal behavior

Restorative justice is a way of responding to criminal behaviour by balancing the needs of the community, the victims and the offenders. It is an evolving concept that has given rise to different interpretation in different countries, one around which there is not always a perfect consensus. Also, because of the difficulties in precisely translating the concept into different languages, a variety of terminologies are often used. There are many terms that are used to describe the restorative justice movement. These include 'communitarian justice', 'making amends', 'positive justice', 'relational justice', 'reparative justice', 'community justice' and 'restorative justice', among others.

A systematic repsonse to wrongdoing that emphasizes healing the wounds of victims, offenders and communities caused or revealed by crime. Practices and programmes reflecting restorative purposes will: (1) identify and take steps to repair harm done; (2) involve all stakeholders; (3) transform the traditional relationship between communities and their Governments. Three principles form the foundation for restorative justice: (1) Justice requires that we work to restore those who have been injured; (2) Those most directly involved and affected by crime should have the opportunity to participate fully in the response if they wish; (3) Government's role is to preserve a just public order, and the community's is to build and maintain a just peace. Related terms, as defined in the Basic principles on the use of restorative justice programmes in criminal matters: (1) restorative justice programmes -- any programme that uses restorative processes and seeks to achieve restorative outcomes. (2) restorative process -- any process in which the victim and the offender, and, where appropriate, any other individuals or community members affected by the crime, participate together actively in the resolution of matters arising from the crime, generally with the help of a facilitator. Restorative processes may include mediation, conciliation, conferencing and sentencing circles. (3) restorative outcome -- an agreement reached as a result of a restorative process. Restorative outcomes include response and programmes such as reparation, restitution and community service, aimed at meeting the individual and collective needs and responsibilities of the parties and achieving the reintegration of the victim and the offender.

According UN Rules for the portection of juveniles deprived of their liberty, agencies and facilities should have a clear policy and carry out agreed procedures relating to the planned and unplanned conclusion of their work with children to ensure appropriate aftercare and/or follow-up. Throughout the period of care, they should systematically aim at preparing the child to assume self-reliance and to integrate fully in the community, notably through the acquisition of social and life skills, which are fostered by participation in the life of the local community.

Robbery may be understood to mean the theft of property from a person, overcoming resistance by force or threat of force.

A competent authority passes a sentence when - notwithstanding any right of appeal - it makes a final decision about a child's case and rules that the child shall be subject to certain measures.

A serious property offence is burglary, robbery or arson, or an attempt to carry out any of these acts. Burglary is the unlawful entry into someone else.s premises with the intention to commit a crime. Robbery is the theft of property from a person, overcoming resistance by force or the threat of force.

The so-called "status offences" prescribed in various national legal systems where the range of behaviour considered to be an offence is wider for juveniles than it is for adults (for example, truancy, school and family disobedience, public drunkenness, etc.).

"A status offence is an act or behaviour that is only punishable if the person committing it is aged under eighteen, or is believed to be aged under eighteen."

Schemes to avoid unnecessary contact with the formal justice system and other measures to prevent reoffending.

Approaches that focus on long-term care in the wake of violence, such as rehabilitation and reintegration, and attempts to lessen trauma or reduce the long-term disability associated with violence.

Theft is the removal of property without the consent of the owner. Theft excludes burglary and housebreaking.

United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures: adopted by General Assembly Resolution 45/110 of 14 December 1990 provide a set of basic principles to promote the use of non-custodial measures, as well as minimum safeguards for persons subject to alternatives to imprisonment.They are intended to promote greater community involvement in the management of criminal justice, specifically in the treatment of offenders, as well as to promote among offenders a sense of responsibility towards society.

UN Guidelines on the Administration of Juvenile Justice: the ‘Vienna Guidelines', displayed in ECOSOC Resolution 1997/30 (1997). Pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/13 of 23 July 1996, the present Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System were developed at an expert group meeting held at Vienna from 23 to 25 February 1997 with the financial support of the Government of Austria. In developing the Guidelines for Action, the experts took into account the views expressed and the information submitted by Governments and they are related to the Administration of Justice for minors offenders.