David Lammy Unveils Youth Justice White Paper Expanding Parenting Orders in England and Wales

Britain’s government unveiled a Youth Justice White Paper on Monday, with Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy saying the reforms aim to intervene earlier and “tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime”.

“- Published Parents face tougher action if their children commit a crime, under plans to overhaul the youth justice system in England and Wales”

BBC

The plan would strengthen and expand Parenting Orders in England and Wales, which can compel parents or guardians to attend counselling or guidance sessions or face penalties such as fines.

BBC

The BBC said the Ministry of Justice source was proposing to increase the fine for breaching an order beyond the current maximum of £1,000, with new powers to jail parents in the most extreme cases.

The government also pointed to figures showing eight in 10 prolific offenders committed their first crime as a child, while two-thirds of those released from custody reoffend within a year, and it said the use of Parenting Orders declined from more than 1,000 in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23.

Alongside Parenting Orders, the White Paper includes piloting new Youth Intervention Courts that bring together judges, youth justice services and specialist support to provide intensive supervision and tailored interventions, including health or educational requirements.

The BBC reported that the government is planning to strengthen and expand Parenting Orders, with a Ministry of Justice source proposing to increase the fine for breaching an order beyond the current maximum of £1,000 and adding new powers to jail parents in the most extreme cases.

Critics questioned whether voluntary engagement is more effective, and the BBC quoted Jess Mullen, chief executive of the Alliance for Youth Justice, saying, “stability or support for the child”.

CYP Now

The Independent said the reforms come as Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy leads an overhaul that could result in jail time for parents whose children break the law, and it described the plan as placing greater responsibility on parents and carers for offences or anti-social behaviour.

The Independent also reported that the Ministry of Justice highlighted a dramatic decline in Parenting Orders, plummeting from over a thousand in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23, and it said Lammy plans to pilot youth intervention courts to bring together judges and support services.

In the same BBC coverage, Lammy said judges would have a “greater range of powers” to use orders to work with parents, while expecting the power to jail parents to be used “very, very rarely”.

The Guardian reported that David Lammy promised to cut the number of children kept in jail while they await trial by a quarter as part of an overhaul that could also end lifelong criminal records for under-18s.

“UK Youth Justice Reforms: Tackling Crime at the Roots The UK government announced new youth justice reforms to tackle crime's root causes, focusing on earlier intervention, enhanced parental responsibility, and youth-focused courts”

Devdiscourse

The government’s plan, as set out by GOV.UK, includes a commitment to end “unnecessary” custodial remand for children, slashing its use by 25% this Parliament to ensure children are not held unless public protection requires it, backed by £5 million for robust community alternatives.

GOV.UK said the reforms also include an extra £15.4 million per year investment in the Turnaround programme to help a further 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system over the next three years, and it added that as of December 2024 just 7% of children who completed Turnaround interventions had gone on to receive a sentence or caution.

The Guardian said Lammy also promised to create a new offence of child criminal exploitation, penalising adults who encourage children to commit crimes, and it reported that the department will pilot youth intervention courts with individually tailored plans that can include health or educational requirements.

Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner, told the BBC that “We must build an approach that keeps children safe, diverts them from crime wherever possible and prioritises meaningful behaviour change,” as the White Paper seeks to modernise the system and reduce repeat offending.