Children Act, 2001
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Decision on holding conference. |
31.—(1) The Director, on receipt of a report pursuant to section 30 from a juvenile liaison officer, shall, having regard to subsection (2) and (3), decide whether or not a conference should be held. | |
(2) In deciding whether a conference should be held the Director shall have regard to— | ||
(a) the report and recommendation of the juvenile liaison officer supervising the child concerned, | ||
(b) whether in the Director's opinion a conference would be of assistance in preventing the commission by the child of further offences, | ||
(c) the role and responsibilities of the child's parents or guardian and relatives, | ||
(d) the views, if any, of the victim, | ||
(e) whether the victim would attend the conference and, where the victim is a child, whether such attendance would be in his or her best interests, | ||
(f) the interests of the community in which the child resides, and | ||
(g) any other matter which the Director considers to be relevant. | ||
(3) A conference shall not be held unless the child and the child's parents or guardian indicate that they will attend it. | ||
(4) (a) Where the Director decides that a conference should be held, he or she shall appoint a person (in this Part referred to as a “facilitator”) to convene the conference and a person to be its chairperson. | ||
(b) The facilitator shall be either the juvenile liaison officer supervising the child or another member of the Garda Síochána. | ||
(c) The chairperson shall be the facilitator, another member of the Garda Síochána or another person, with that other person's agreement. | ||
(5) In any case where the Director decides that a conference should not be held he or she shall direct the juvenile liaison officer supervising the child to inform the child and the child's parent or guardian accordingly. |