The Transform Justice Podcast

Ep42: Are our courts fit for child defendants?

Published: 10 January 2025 at 04:53 UTC

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Episode notes

Though rare, children as young as 10 can be tried in criminal court in England and Wales. But are the courts up to the task of dealing with vulnerable children?

In this episode Rob and Penelope are joined by Aika Stephenson, solicitor and co-founder of Just for Kids Law, and Danielle Manson, criminal defence barrister. They discuss what kind of cases involving children go to court, how children are treated by judges and prosecutors, and how courts can be made more 'child friendly'.

Aika Stephenson @Justforkidslaw

Find Aika's book 'In Their Defence: Fighting for Youth Justice One Child at a Time' here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/in-their-defence/aika-stephenson-just-for-kids-law/9781789294873

Danielle Manson @daniellejmanson

Read more about Danielle's work here: https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/member/danielle-manson/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.