The pecularities of the penal means for minor people
Journal Title: Profesinės Studijos: Teorija ir Praktika - Year 2009, Vol 5, Issue 5
Abstract
Criminal acts committed by minors are getting more severe. Violent and property criminal acts committed by minor people are getting more frequent, the age of minor criminals is getting younger and more frequently criminal acts are committed by younger minor people. Application of means of responsibility for the minor people indicated in the criminal law require wider investigation taking in to account structural, social and economical changes of crime, a problem of compatibility of executing justice upon minor people in Lithuania and provisions of international documents, reforms of the system of executing justice upon minor people. The reformed criminal justice of minor people musten sure that penal means were applied effectively, promptly, had educational nature, would humanizme means of influence applied to minor law offenders: lessen their repressive nature and enlarge possibilities of re – socialization and adaptation in society, develop and strengthen probation institute. Imprisonment should be imposed only in extre mecases and terms should be shorter than for adult criminals. Various means of influence should be applied to minor law violators and criminal sentences avoided, especially the ones related to imprisonment. By rejecting formal court proceedings many negative consequences, like loss of minor person’s self-esteem, may be avoided. Alternative means of penal character should be applied: probation, mediation, remission from criminal responsibility, dismissal of case and its positive decision in pretrial institutions and other individualized means and means oriented at the support and education of minor people, which should be applied taking in to account not only the age of law violator, but also his personality features with apurpose to socialize him. After a minor commits a criminal act it is necessary to consider very young age of the perpetrator and therefore it is purposeful to set the upper limit of criminal responsibility at 18 years. That would conform to the provisions of Convention of Child’s Rights and Lithuanian Civil Lawabout the age of majority. It is also purposeful to extend application of minor people criminal responsibility norms to the persons up to 20 or 21 years and ensure effective integrity of law when solving a problem of person’s ability to account for his behavior. Peculiarities of criminal responsibility of 14 –17 year old people must be set in speciall a was it is in many countries. Practice of specialized trials would help to implement professional justice for minors and would ensure protection of their rights and interests. A court imposing a sentence retains authority of law in society and state, and the perpetrator understands that he is punished because he has violated social norms and would psychologically feel guilt as an offence for him self, his values and behavioral norms. All system of jurisdiction to minors should be based on the welfare of young people and beoriented to wards support to minors and their integration in to life and work in society. Therefore, a sentence is not only a retribution for acommitted criminal act, but also a means for prevention of new criminal acts, reeducation of minors and helping them to reintegrate in to society. A sentence has to be convincing, i.e. the perpetrator has to realize that the size and kind of the punishment is proportionate to committed criminal act and based on other circumstances of the case. Every reaction to criminal act committed by a minor has to be proportionate to his personality features and circumstances of committed punishable act. The legislator has granted trial a right to evaluate situation at his discretion and to exonerate a minor from criminal responsibility, impose educational means or one of the sentences provided in the sanction, which can be imposed to aminor. Current sentences do not differentiate minors and adults as the same sentences are imposed to them; only their size is limited. The same rules and general reasons for imposing sentences are applied, and the legislator has only provided additional circumstances that the court has to take in to account when choosing size and type of the sentence for aminor. Imprisonment and limiting of freedom maybe applied only in exceptional cases as an extreme means and only in court proceedings, because too strict sentence ruins child’s personality and induces to commit a crime again. The duration of imprisonment should be as short as possible. Competent institutions have to prove that imposing imprisonment to aminor is necessary and no alternative to a criminal sentence means of effect would make proper in fluence on a child who has violated the law.
Authors and Affiliations
Audronė Bagdonienė, Lina Kušleikienė
Keywords
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