Chapter 10 Self-test questions

. The age of criminality in England and Wales is __. [Please write the number as a word.]

. Youth court proceedings are open to members of the public and journalists.

True

False

. Witnesses under the age of 18 in a youth court receive automatic anonymity.

True

False

. Can a media report of a youth court trial, published when it ends, legally identify a school as being the one which the 15-year-old defendant attends? Assume that the court made no order affecting reporting.

Yes, provided that naming the school does not identify the defendant

No

Yes, if he/she allegedly committed the offence at the school

No, unless the school's head gives written permission

. If one teenager aged under 18 is on trial accused of attacking another teenager aged under 18, who later died, who can be identified in media reports?

Both the defendant on trial and the dead teenager

Only the defendant, not the victim

Only the victim, not the defendant

Neither young person can be identified

. Section 49 allows a youth court to revoke the anonymity of a young person to allow the media to identify him/her 'to any specified extent'. By what criterion must a youth court decide whether the media should be permitted to do this?

The court must be satisfied this 'would not substantially harm a juvenile's welfare''

The court must be satisfied this is 'in the interests of justice'

The court must be satisfied this is 'reasonable and just'

The court must be satisfied this is 'in the public interest'

. A defendant aged 15 who is on trial for murder in an adult court will receive automatic anonymity.

True

False

. A juvenile witness in a civil court is granted anonymity by a court order made under section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. If the order is not subsequently lifted by a court, when does this anonymity expire?

When he/she reaches the age of 21

When, after all proceedings in the case end, any period for an appeal to be made expires

When he/she reaches the age of 18

At the end of this defendant's life

. Journalists who are covering a case with either automatic or applied anonymity protection for juveniles should be aware of what other publications are writing about the case in order to avoid ______ identification.

. Journalists covering a case of child abuse by someone within the family have to be extra careful with the details they report. How can this be approached?

No detail should be published about any adult defendant

No detail should be published about any child defendant

Details of the adult defendant can be published if they do not reveal the relationship to the child

Details of the child can be published if it is in the public interest

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