Person to be brought before court
Section 20 – Information to be given if sexual offence
59.Section 20(1) contains the criteria that are to be applied to establish whether a person falls within this section. The person must have been arrested in respect of a warrant for a sexual offence to which section 288C of the 1995 Act applies or, if arrested without warrant and since being arrested, have been charged by a constable for a sexual offence to which section 288C of the 1995 Act applies.
60.Section 20(2) contains the information that a person who falls within the criteria contained within subsection (1) must be given. The person must be informed that certain hearings in the course of their case may only be conducted by a lawyer. The person must also be given notice that it is in their interests to engage the professional assistance of a solicitor at, or for the purposes of those hearings, and if the person does not engage the assistance of a solicitor then the court will do so.
Section 21 – Person to be brought before court
61.Sections 21(1) and (2) provide that, wherever practicable, persons kept in custody after being arrested under a warrant or arrested without a warrant and subsequently charged with an offence by a constable, must be brought before a court by the end of the next court day. For example, a person arrested at 11pm on a Tuesday and charged with an offence at 2am on the Wednesday would be due in court not later than the end of the court’s sitting on the Thursday.
62.Section 21(3) provides for persons to be considered to be brought before a court if appearing by television link.
Section 22 – Under 18s to be kept in a place of safety prior to court
63.Section 22 provides that persons under 16 and those aged 16 and 17 subject to compulsory supervision orders who are being brought to court in accordance with section 21(2) are only kept in a police station in the circumstances prescribed in subsection (3) and a constable of the rank of inspector or above has certified accordingly.
Section 23 – Notice to parent that under 18 to be brought before court
64.Section 23 makes provision for circumstances where a person who is under 16 or is aged 16 or over and subject to a supervision order is to be brought before a court in accordance with section 21(2) or released from police custody on an undertaking given under section 25(2)(a). It provides that a parent of that person (if one can be found) must be informed (a) of the court before which the person is to be brought, (b) of the date on which the person is to be brought before the court, (c) of the general nature of the offence which the person has been officially accused of committing and (d) that the parent’s attendance at the court may be required under section 42 of the 1995 Act. The requirement to give such information may be dispensed with if a constable believes that it would be detrimental to the wellbeing of the person being brought before the court or released on undertaking (subsection(3)).
Section 24 – Notice to local authority that under 18 to be brought before court
65.Section 24 sets out the circumstances when a local authority has to be advised of the following information: the court before which the person is to be brought, the date the person is to be brought before the court and the general nature of the offence which the person has been officially accused of committing. There are two sets of circumstances which require the local authority to be notified. Firstly, where a person who is (i) under 16 years, (ii) 16 or 17 years of age and subject to either a compulsory supervision order or an interim compulsory supervision order or (iii) believed to be 16 or 17 years of age and has declined the right to have intimation sent under section 38 is brought before a court in accordance with section 21(2). Secondly, where a person is under 16 or 17 years and subject to compulsory supervision is released from police custody on an undertaking given under section 25(2)(a).
66.Subsection (5) defines “appropriate local authority” as the local authority in the area where the court sits.
