Youth Criminal Justice
in Edmonton & Calgary, Alberta

It's a separate system under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA), which applies to young people aged 12 to 17 at the time of the alleged offence. It recognizes that youth are still developing, and places far more emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration than the adult system does. In practice, that means more options to resolve a case in ways that keep a young person out of court and out of custody.

Youth records work differently from adult ones. They're kept separately, their access is restricted to protect the young person's privacy, and they generally close to access after a set period, provided there's no further offending. They aren't the same as a lifelong adult record—but the timelines and rules are specific, so it's worth getting proper advice about how a particular outcome would affect your child's future.

They're ways of holding a young person accountable without a full court process. For less serious matters—especially a first offence—police and the Crown must consider options like a warning, a caution, or a referral to a community program, as well as more formal "extrajudicial sanctions" such as community service or counselling. Resolving a matter this way can avoid a formal finding of guilt, and it's often a key goal of youth defence.

In limited circumstances, yes. For the most serious offences, and generally only where the young person was 14 or older, the Crown can apply to have them sentenced as an adult—which carries far heavier consequences, including the loss of youth privacy protections. These applications are serious but defensible, and are exactly the kind of situation where experienced counsel matters most.

Make sure they don't give a statement to police before speaking with a lawyer. Young people have the right to counsel and the right to have a parent present, and statements taken without those protections can sometimes be challenged. Reassure your child, avoid discussing the details over text or social media, and call us right away — we offer a free, no-obligation consultation and can guide you both through what comes next.