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The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10 years old. Children are treated differently from adults, are dealt with by youth courts and sent to special secure centres for young people.
Children under 10 who break the law can be given a Local Child Curfew, a Child Safety Order or can be taken into care
What happens if you're given a community sentence or community service. Find out about Community Payback and the rules of your community sentence.
You may get a community sentence if you’re convicted of a crime by a court…
Community Payback is unpaid work like: removing graffiti clearing…
The treatment or programmes you get are intended to help with problems…
What you can and cannot do while on a community sentence is decided by: a…
Community sentences for young people are different from those given to…
What happens if you're charged with a crime. Find out about the hearing, when you can be released on bail and being put in custody (on remand).
Self-report a company or partnership that did not prevent the facilitation of tax evasion if you’re their authorised representative.
Crimes committed against someone because of their race, religion, sexuality, disability or gender are hate crimes - how to report them to the police
The police or Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) can give you a caution (warning) or a penalty notice if you commit a minor crime
The range of prison sentences a court can give - including suspended, fixed-term, indeterminate and life sentences.
Youth crime prevention programmes - how young people are put on a programme, what they're like, mentoring and involving parents and families.
If you've been the victim of a crime, you have the right to privacy, to make a personal statement and to contact the police and be kept informed about the investigation.
Detailed information about the Insolvency Service’s investigation and enforcement work, how we achieve our outcomes and how to complain about misconduct.
Information relating to the Criminal Justice Bill which was introduced in the House of Commons on 14 November 2023.
When to tell a potential employer, university, college or insurance company about a criminal record, when it becomes 'spent' and what shows up on a DBS check.
Attorney General's guidelines for prosecutors on the use of the common law offence of conspiracy to defraud. First published 2007.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
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