Title and introductory text
Children and Young Persons Act 1969 1969 c. 54 An Act to amend the law relating to children and young persons; and for purposes connected therewith. [22nd October 1969]
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Children and Young Persons Act 1969
United Kingdom · statute
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In force since 2020-12-01, as the publisher states.
Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.
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Contents: 79 provisions
- Title and introductory text
- 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 5 Restrictions on criminal proceedings for offences by young persons.
- 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 7 Alterations in treatment of young offenders etc.
- 7A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 9 Investigations by local authorities.
- 10 Further limitations on publication of particulars of children and young persons etc.
- 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 11A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 12A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 12AA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 12B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 12C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 12D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 14A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 16A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 16B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 20A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 21A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 23 Remands and committals to local authority accommodation.
- 23A Liability to arrest for breaking conditions of remand.
- 23B Report by local authority in certain cases where person remanded on bail
- 23AA Electronic monitoring of conditions of remand
- 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 25 Transfers between England or Wales and Northern Ireland.
- 26 Transfers between England or Wales and the Channel Islands or Isle of Man.
- 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 29 Recognisance on release of arrested child or young person.
- 30 Detention of young offenders in community homes.
- 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 32 Detention of absentees.
- 32A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 32B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 32C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 34 Transitional modifications of Part I for persons of specified ages.
- 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 46 Discontinuance of approved schools etc. on establishment of community homes.
- 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 52
- 53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 56 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 65 Grants to voluntary organisations etc.
- 66 Increase of rate support grants.
- 67 Administrative expenses.
- 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- 69 Orders and regulations etc.
- 70 Interpretation and ancillary provisions.
- 71 Application to Isles of Scilly.
- 72 Transitional provisions, minor amendments and repeals etc.
- 73 Citation, commencement and extent.
- SCHEDULE 1 . . .
- SCHEDULE 2 . . .
- SCHEDULE 3 Approved schools and other institutions
- SCHEDULE 4 Transitional provisions and savings
- Schedule 5 Minor and Consequential Amendments of Enactments
- Schedule 6 Repeals
- SCHEDULE 7 . . .
Proposed changes to this act
No one has proposed a change to this act yet.
79 provisions
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Propose a change5 Restrictions on criminal proceedings for offences by young persons.
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8) It shall be the duty of a person who decides to lay an information in respect of an offence in a case where he has reason to believe that the alleged offender is a young person to give notice of the decision to the appropriate local authority unless he is himself that authority. (9) In this section— “the appropriate local authority”, in relation to a young person, means the local authority for the area in which it appears to the informant in question that the young person resides or, if the young person appears to the informant not to reside in the area of a local authority, the local authority in whose area it is alleged that the relevant offence or one of the relevant offences was committed; and . . . and . . .; but nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing any council or other body from acting by an agent for the purposes of this section.
Propose a change6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change7 Alterations in treatment of young offenders etc.
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3),(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (5) An order sending a person to an approved school shall not be made after such day as the Secretary of State may by order specify for the purposes of this subsection. (6) Sections 54 and 57 of the Act of 1933 (which among other things enables a child or young person found guilty of an offence to be sent to a remand home or committed to the care of a fit person) shall cease to have effect. (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (7C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change7A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Propose a change9 Investigations by local authorities.
(1) Where a local authority ... bring . . . proceedings for an offence alleged to have been committed by a young person or are notified that any such proceedings are being brought, it shall be the duty of the authority, unless they are of opinion that it is unnecessary to do so, to make such investigations and provide the court before which the proceedings are heard with such information relating to the home surroundings, school record, health and character of the person in respect of whom the proceedings are brought as appear to the authority likely to assist the court. (2) If the court mentioned in subsection (1) of this section requests the authority aforesaid to make investigations and provide information or to make further investigations and provide further information 4 relating to the matters aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the authority to comply with the request.
Propose a change10 Further limitations on publication of particulars of children and young persons etc.
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Propose a change23 Remands and committals to local authority accommodation.
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Propose a change23A Liability to arrest for breaking conditions of remand.
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Propose a change23B Report by local authority in certain cases where person remanded on bail
(1) Subsection (2) below applies where a court remands a person aged 10 or 11 on bail and either— (a) the person is charged with or has been convicted of a serious offence, or (b) in the opinion of the court the person is a persistent offender. (2) The court may order a local authority to make an oral or written report specifying where the person is likely to be placed or maintained if he is further remanded to local authority accommodation under section 91(3) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. (3) An order under subsection (2) above must designate the local authority which is to make the report; and that authority must be the local authority which the court would have designated under section 92(2) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 if the person had been remanded to local authority accommodation. (4) An order under subsection (2) above must specify the period within which the local authority must comply with the order. (5) The maximum period that may be so specified is seven working days. (6) If the Secretary of State by order so provides, subsection (2) above also applies where— (a) a court remands on bail any person who has attained the age of 12 and is under the age of 18 , (b) the requirements in section 94(3) and (4) or 95(3) and (4) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 would have been fulfilled if the person had not been remanded on bail, and (c) in a case where he is remanded after conviction, the court is satisfied that the behaviour which constituted the offence was due, to a significant extent, to the circumstances in which the offender was living. (7) In this section— “serious offence” means (subject to subsection (8)) an offence punishable in the case of an adult with imprisonment for a term of two years or more. “working day” means any day other than— a Saturday or a Sunday, Christmas day or Good Friday, or a bank holiday in England and Wales under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. (8) For the purposes of the application of this section to a person remanded on bail in connection with proceedings under the Extradition Act 2003— (a) an offence is a “serious offence” if the conduct constituting the offence would, if committed in England and Wales, constitute an offence punishable in the case of an adult with imprisonment for a term of two years or more, and (b) the reference in subsection (1)(a) to a person being charged with a serious offence includes a reference to the person having been accused of such an offence.
Propose a change23AA Electronic monitoring of conditions of remand
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Propose a change24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change25 Transfers between England or Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Propose a change