Alright, well the debate is tommorow and continues on wednesday. I, at this point believe those representing groups and agencies that believe the act is too harsh will be taken down easily, those who believe the act is too lenient will be a bit tougher.
Now if the opposition
argues the act is too lenient: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Critics of the YCJA felt it was too lenient and when the Conservative Harper government came into power in January 2006, it lobbied for harsher sentences, arguing that they would be a deterrent to would-be youth criminals and cut down on repeat offenders.
In June 2006, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled "since no basis can be found in the Youth Criminal Justice Act for imposing a harsher sanction than would otherwise be called for to deter others from committing crimes, general deterrence is not a principle of youth sentence under the new regime."
If this is an argument then we are underlying our entire justice system, particular to the supreme court of Canada, the highest court in Canada. Our court has made a ruling and this is not a debate on whether our justice system is corrupt.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=In our justice system, police have the choice depending on the circumstances of a crime and past police records to charge the individual or use extrajudicial measures. The act and our team representing the youth believe in second chances. If that second chance of trust is broken, police and crown attorney's take that into consideration when using discretion on whether to take extrajudicial measures. Repeat offenders and those who have not learned from there mistakes will be prosecuted.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=Now if the opposition
argues the act is too harsh: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=The Youth Criminal Justice Act starts from the idea that young people should be held responsible for their actions, but that they are still children who make mistakes and should be given the opportunity to mature, learn from their mistakes, accept the consequences of their actions, and make amends. Thus, they should be treated differently from adults who are expected to understand and be fully accountable for their actions.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=There are ways of dealing with less serious offences that do not involve proceedings in Youth Justice Court. The police will assess your situation and they have some discretion about the way they handle your case. If you have not committed a serious offence the Youth Criminal Justice Act encourages the police to use what are called extrajudicial measures. These measures divert youth from the court process and keep them from having a youth record. Crown Attorneys also have the discretion to take into consideration extrajudicial measures.
YCJA encourages this:
• decide to take no further action against you, if the offence is minor and you have no previous dealings with the police.
• give you a verbal warning or caution. This will probably mean that the officer will talk to you about the impact of your actions on others, the consequences of your actions for you, and what will likely happen if you get into trouble again. The warning or caution may be placed in police records, so that if the police have to deal with you again, they will know that you have been warned before.
• refer you to different programs in the community if you agree.
There are many different programs and agencies that help youth, depending on the community where you live. Some examples include
• recreation programs,
• counselling for young people,
• mental health agencies,
• child welfare offices, or
• youth justice committees.
Youth must agree that you would like to be referred to one of these agencies, and they may talk to a lawyer about it before they agree, thus showing that the YCJA is not too harsh and gives youth other opportunities.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=On April 1, 2003, the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) officially replaced the Young Offenders Act.
It aims to emphasize the rehabilitation and re-entry of a young offender into society. The new act addresses the criticism that Canada's youth justice system lacked a clear philosophy, laying out a Declaration of Principles:
"The youth criminal justice system is to prevent crime by addressing the circumstances underlying a young person's offending behaviour, rehabilitate young persons who commit offences and reintegrate them back into society, and ensure that a young person is subject to meaningful consequences for his or her offences, in order to promote the long-term protection of the public."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=I've got some facts ready for rebuttle, but they will be used when needed.
Now, does anyone have anything to say about my arguments or any further argument ideas?
P.S. Thanks Hydra and carl for replying