Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA)
The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) is the federal law about the youth criminal justice system. The purpose of the Act is to promote long-term protection of the public by:
- preventing youth from committing crimes by looking at the reasons why they commit crimes and finding ways to help them change this behaviour,
- rehabilitating youth and helping them back into society so they become law-abiding members of the community, and
- ensuring youth breaking the law receive meaningful consequences for their actions.
Explore this Section
To learn more about the Youth Criminal Justice Act and youth criminal justice system, please explore:
- Youth and Adult Criminal Justice Systems (differences)
- Holding Youth Responsible (purpose and considerations)
- Role of Parents
More Information
For more information, please visit: Youth Criminal Justice Act on the Canadian Legal Information Institute website. The following identifies some of the main sections of the act:
- Part 1: Extrajudicial Measures
- Part 2: Organization of Youth Criminal Justice System
- Part 3: Judicial Measures
- Part 4: Sentencing
- Part 5: Custody and Supervision
- Part 6: Publication, Records and Information
- Part 7: General Provisions
- Part 8: Transitional Provisions
