Children (Amendment) Act 2015

Provisions regarding period of detention imposed by court

9. The Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 149:

“Provisions regarding period of detention imposed by court

149. (1) Where a child is convicted of an offence and a period of detention is imposed on the child by a court, the period of detention shall not exceed the term of detention or imprisonment that the court could have imposed on a person of full age and capacity who is convicted of such an offence.

(2) Where a court imposes a period of detention exceeding 3 years on a child, it shall give its reasons for doing so in open courtin language that is appropriate to the age and level of understanding of the child.”.