How does the law deal with young offenders, and to what extend does the law protect and promote the rights of young people in conflict with the law? These are the central issues addressed by Young Offenders and the Law in its examination of the legal response to the phenomenon of youth offending, and the contemporary forces that shape the law.

Part 1: Historical Development of the English Youth Justice System 1. Development of a Separate Youth Justice System - Historical Perspectives 2. Development of the Youth Justice System, 1900-1969 3. The Youth Justice System - From the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 to the Present Part 2: Legal Principles Underpinning the English Youth Justice System 4. The Impact of International Law on the Development of the English Youth Justice System 5. The Age of Criminal Responsibility and the Defence of Doli Incapax 6. Protecting the Welfare of Young People who Offend 7. Preventing Youth Offending Part 3: The English Youth Justice System in Practice 8. The Role of the Police and the Youth Court in Tackling Youth Offending 9. Restorative Justice in the English Youth Justice System 10. Sentencing Options Availalbe to the Youth Court 11. Punishing Parents for Youth Offending 12. Youth Offending Cases in the Adult Crown Court