Here's how the Youth Criminal Justice Act is used in historical cases
CTV
Lawyer and University of Saskatchewan (USask) lecturer Hilary Peterson explains why the Youth Criminal Justice Act is used in cases where the accused is charged long after they become a legal adult.
June 24, 2023 marked a day of relief for the family and friends of Misha Pavelick, as charges were finally laid in connection to the 19-year-old Regina teen’s death – 17 years after it happened.
Saskatchewan RCMP arrested a 34-year-old man in Regina and charged him with second-degree murder in connection to Pavelick’s death on May 21, 2006.
The accused was 17-years-old at the time.
Due to his age at the time of the alleged offence, the man is being tried as a youth and is protected under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YJCA).
Provisions that include a publication ban and the protection of his identity.
Hilary Peterson is a practicing lawyer, member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and a lecturer at USask’s College of Law.
She says there’s a clear need and reason for the provisions and protections of the YCJA.
