The Juvenile Court Judge in Context : in Search of Balance

Benoit Bastard (1) , Christian Mouhanna (2)

1 ISP - Institut des Sciences sociales du Politique
2 CESDIP - Centre de recherches sociologiques sur le droit et les institutions pénales

Concern with juvenile delinquency, but also with educational assistance work, has fired much debate, often critical, on the juvenile justice system. The practices of juvenile court judges (JE = juges des enfants), in particular, and above all the primacy they give to education, symbolized by the Feb. 2, 1945 ordonnance, have been seriously challenged. Several laws have considerably modified the juvenile justice system. Structural reorganizations are under way, tending above all to give greater responsibility to département councils2. Furthermore, within the courts themselves, the position of JEs has been weakened by the growing role of the public Prosecutor's office in the treatment of cases, and by the budget cut-backs suffered by courts in general.

Domaines: Sociologie

Benoit Bastard, Christian Mouhanna. The Juvenile Court Judge in Context : in Search of Balance. Penal Issues, 2008, 3, pp.1-4. ⟨hal-00835260⟩