Teen Court

A Teen Court (German court student or youth court ) is a forensic educational youth project in which a student body may make educational measures against juvenile offenders. The idea and the name of the teen courts comes from the USA. One of the main motivations for the introduction of Teen Courts is the assumption that young people watching their peers is particularly important. By participating in Teen Court, this effect should be used so that an insight is conveyed to the parties involved.

Germany

Jurisdiction

The Teen Court is in the sense of procedural law no juvenile court, he has neither judicial nor prosecutorial skills. It will take place neither evidence nor evidence, the facts must be fully understood. The prosecutor's office accompanied the process to completion. Only cases of slight negotiated up to medium crime - on a Teen Court are - depending on the province.

Shows an offender to the competent public prosecutor confessed and declared their readiness to appear before the Student Court, sees the prosecution on a criminal prosecution and assigns the case to the student court. Accepts the young people the " judgment " of the student body, the case is complete. Are educational measures have been initiated, the prosecutor may waive 2 Juvenile Court Act of prosecution pursuant to § 45 para.

Dissemination

Teen Courts there in Bavaria ( Aschaffenburg, Ingolstadt, Ansbach, Memmingen, Augsburg, Landshut ), Hesse (Limburg, Wiesbaden, Germany ), North Rhine -Westphalia ( Recklinghausen), (Siegen ), Saxony ( Bautzen, Leipzig, Zwickau ), Saxony -Anhalt ( Halberstadt ) and Baden -Württemberg ( Kehl). Thuringia ( Haubinda ) at the Hermann- Lietz -Schule. In Hamburg, a pilot project was discontinued in 2008 after one and a half years.

Unlike in the original Teen Courts in Kehl, the concept is also used in criminal minors, ie under 14 years of age, applied, so that they can deal with their act. Through the cooperation with the Youth Officer of the police in these cases be forwarded with the consent of the parents and the delinquent what has become of the student body.

Training of "judge"

The judge at Teen Court, usually 14 to 20 years old, must have attended appropriate training. They should each be older than the offenders.

Assessment

The success is controversial. Whilst it is recognized that using this device Diversion can be achieved; it is meant that dispensed with in favor of rehabilitation and relief of jurisdiction on a formal procedure. But is questioned in part the constitutional legitimacy. The after the Juvenile Court Act for the required on youth criminal involved special qualifications in education will also be hard to prove.

The thesis that stood in front of a Teen Court youth, are far less likely to relapse than in the criminal courts, is so far no scientific evidence for Germany. In the U.S., there are long-term studies to confirm this effect. Since Teen Courts in the United States but others have decision-making powers than in Germany, these results are difficult to be applied to the German model.