Edinburgh University Press Childhood and Crime

This book examines the treatment, by the criminal law and the criminal justice system, of children who commit serious crimes. The author examines a number of cases from legal, philosophical and sociological perspectives, noting the paradox, and the consequent difficulties for the legal system,of accommodating an individual who is simultaneously both 'child' and 'criminal'. The book also examines the existing response of the Scottish legal system to such children, both in the courts and through the children's hearings system, in its search for a fair and compassionate approach which still takes account of the public interest and the need for public confidence in the criminal justice system.