Sentencing Act 2020

98 Failure to agree youth offender contract

(1) This section applies to—

(a) the first meeting of a youth offender panel established for an offender, and

(b) any further meeting of the panel held under subsection (2)(b).

(2) The panel may—

(a) end the meeting without having reached agreement with the offender on an appropriate programme of behaviour, and

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

(3) But if, at the meeting, it appears to the panel that there is no prospect of reaching an agreement with the offender on an appropriate programme of behaviour within a reasonable period after the making of the referral order (or orders), the panel—

(a) may not consider the case at a further meeting under subsection (2)(b), and

(b) must instead refer the offender back to court.

(4) If, at the meeting, the panel and the offender reach agreement on an appropriate programme of behaviour, but—

(a) the offender does not sign the record produced under section 96(4)(b), and

(b) the offender’s failure to do so appears to the panel to be unreasonable,

the panel must end the meeting and refer the offender back to court.

(5) In this section, “appropriate programme of behaviour” means a programme of behaviour of the kind mentioned in section 96(2).