If you are facing youth charges, you need a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto to look at your case as soon as possible.
Extrajudicial sanctions are when instead of filing formal charges, police officers or Crown prosecutors send a young person to an alternative resolution or program as their sentence.
Some of these options are going to school or counselling, community service, and paying the victim back for damages. The Youth Criminal Justice Act says that these punishments can only be used when a warning or caution isn’t enough, but a court case isn’t needed. To understand other ways to avoid a criminal record, see our guide to resolutions in Toronto.
Youth Extrajudicial Sanctions are essentially the same as the Alternative Measures Program but is designed specifically for young offenders (person’s accused of an offence who are under 18 years of age).
As with the Alternative Measures Program, the discretion to divert you into the program lies with the Crown, so it is important to get legal advice to make sure you put forward all relevant information to give you the best chance possible of entering the program. In some cases, diversion through the Mental Health Diversion Program may also be appropriate.
Strategic Criminal Defence is a top Google-rated criminal defence firm in Toronto, with over 500 5-star reviews. Our firm, and our experienced legal team, have defended clients in over 10,000 criminal cases. Leveraging our extensive network of lawyers and decades of experience, we craft defence strategies to help youth accused of offences beat the charge.
The lawyers at Strategic Criminal Defence are both highly experienced and dedicated to defending your rights and future in the face of these charges. Contact a lawyer today by calling (647) 986-8077.
Key Takeaways
- The Youth Criminal Justice Act allows for young people (ages 12 to 17) to take responsibility for their crimes through youth extrajudicial sanctions without having to go through the court system.
- This can include community service, apologies, victim restitution, or counselling.
- Even though they are taking part in extrajudicial sanctions, young people must still follow any release conditions set by the police or the court.
- If the young person successfully completes the extrajudicial sanctions, the charges will be dropped or stayed, which means that they won’t have a youth criminal record.
- If a young person doesn’t qualify for extrajudicial sanctions, our lawyers can still help them fight the charges with other defence strategies.
How can a Youth Extra Judicial Sanction lawyer in Toronto help?
We can help youth before charges are filed, and in some cases, we can even talk to the police or the Crown directly to get the case sent to extrajudicial sanctions right away.
Our lawyers can collect important evidence, such as that they are doing well in school, are involved in the community, and have family support. All of these things can affect whether or not they can get sentences outside of court.
Our lawyers know how to work with Toronto’s youth justice system. We can help your family every step of the way to make sure our youth clients find as positive of a resolution as possible.
Examples of Youth Extra Judicial Sanctions
- Writing an apology letter and doing community service after calling in a series of fake crimes which misled a police investigation. The charge was dropped after the youth completed these requirements.
- A middle-school-aged girl was caught stealing from a local mall. She was able to avoid a youth record and have her theft charge dropped after attending counselling and completing a community service program.
- A teen was charged with assaulting another teen. He went to a restorative justice conference with the other student, their parents and a mediator as his punishment.
Consequences of Youth Extra Judicial Sanctions
Youth extrajudicial sanctions are designed to help young people avoid the harsher consequences of the youth criminal justice system. These programs don’t impose jail sentences or fines. Instead, they provide an alternative path that focuses on rehabilitation.
The most significant benefit of completing extrajudicial sanctions is that the young person won’t have a youth criminal record for this offence. This protects their future opportunities for education, employment, volunteer work, and travel.
