Beggs says working group’s proposals on childhood criminality go too far
Roy Beggs MLA, Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson on Children’s Issues, who sat on the Bill of Rights Forum’s Children’s Working Group, has voiced his objection to the suggestion to raise the age of when a young person becomes responsible for their crimes to 16 or 18.
Roy Beggs, Ulster Unionist MLA for East Antrim, claimed that “the BORF children’s working group has gone way beyond the remit set by the Belfast Agreement which was to give consideration to the ‘particular circumstances’ of Northern Ireland. The UUP both in the Working Group and in the Bill of Rights Forum has clearly and robustly argued against any proposed Bill of Rights seeking to change the age of criminal responsibility.”
He continued to claim that the Bill of Rights was not the appropriate place to address the issue of youth justice policy. He suggested that instead of the forum dealing with this important issue that it should be addressed through legislation. Roy Beggs MLA stated that “it would be more beneficial and practical to reform the youth justice procedures through legislation at Westminster rather than by a Bill of Rights. If the age of responsibility was changed by legislation it could be changed in a graduated manner with appropriate checks and balances to ensure that the public was protected.
In the course of my casework I have dealt with vulnerable constituents who have suffered as a result of a small number of young people who do not respect their neighbours. I have also taken part in anti social behaviour patrols alongside the PSNI and am therefore opposed to any wide reaching proposal which may inhibit the curtailment of anti social behaviour. There is also a clear need for safeguards against particular crimes such as murder, manslaughter and rape. I am therefore opposed to the current proposals which lack in detail and offer no such protection.”
The East Antrim Assemblyman stated that he was “completely against raising the age limit of criminal responsibility to 18. I believe that if a 17 yr old has committed a crime then they should be held accountable. There is a need to respect the rights of young citizens. Equally they have a responsibility to respect the rights of their fellow citizens.”