Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000

25 First meeting: failure to agree contract

(1) Where it appears to a youth offender panel to be appropriate to do so, the panel may—

(a) end the first meeting (or any further meeting held in pursuance of paragraph (b) below) without having reached agreement with the offender on a programme of behaviour of the kind mentioned in section 23(1) above; and

(b) resume consideration of the offender’s case at a further meeting of the panel.

(2) If, however, it appears to the panel at the first meeting or any such further meeting that there is no prospect of agreement being reached with the offender within a reasonable period after the making of the referral order (or orders)—

(a) subsection (1)(b) above shall not apply; and

(b) instead the panel shall refer the offender back to the appropriate court.

(3) If at a meeting of the panel—

(a) agreement is reached with the offender but he does not sign the record produced in pursuance of section 23(5) above, and

(b) his failure to do so appears to the panel to be unreasonable,

the panel shall end the meeting and refer the offender back to the appropriate court.