Crime & Disorder Act

Once laws that have been made and passed by Parliament, they need to be put into practice and the police help enforce the law.

One such law was the Crime and Disorder Act that was passed in September 1998 by Parliament. This Act made big changes to the way that young people are dealt with if they break the law.

What will happen to me if I break the law then?

From the age of ten, if you break the law and admit the offence there are three options open to the police:

1 You could be reprimanded by a police officer at a police station

2 You could be given a final warning and referred to a Youth Offending Scheme to help you stop offending

3 You could be charged, even if you don't admit it and go to court.

This is not a 1,2,3 system. You can be dealt with in any of these ways. The action that the police decide to take depends on the seriousness of your offence and whether you have offended before.