Juvenile justice centre orders
39.—(1) Where a child is found guilty by or before any court of an offence punishable in the case of an adult with imprisonment (other than an offence to which Article 45(1) applies), the court (subject to Article 32(1)) shall have power to make a juvenile justice centre order, that is to say, an order that the child shall be sent to a juvenile justice centre and be subject to a period of detention in a juvenile justice centre followed by a period of supervision.
(2) A juvenile justice centre order shall be for a period of six months unless the court specifies in the order a longer period not exceeding two years.
(3) A court shall not make a juvenile justice centre order unless, after taking into account any matters which it is required to take into account by Article 37 of the [1996 NI 24.] Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (previous convictions, etc.), it has formed the opinion under Articles 19 and 20 of that Order that a custodial sentence would be justified for the offence.
(4) Where a court makes a juvenile justice centre order for a period longer than six months, it shall state in open court its reasons for doing so.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), the period of detention which the child is liable to serve under a juvenile justice centre order shall be one half of the period of the order.
(6) The length of the period of detention shall be treated as reduced by any period which is a relevant period within the meaning of section 26(2) and (2A) of the [1968 c. 29 (N.I.).] Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 (reduction of sentence).
(7) Any reference in any statutory provision to the length of the period of a juvenile justice centre order shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to the length of the period imposed by or under paragraph (2) and not the length of the period as reduced by paragraph (6).