About the youth justice system

In Victoria  there is a special system to deal with young people who have committed crimes.  The system is a mix of Victoria Police programs and the law.

Victoria Police programs guide the use of warnings and cautions. Some programs include the “pre-court Victoria Police cautioning program,” and the Drug Diversion Caution Program.

The main law is called the the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (CYFA). The CYFA provides alternatives to traditional court processes like the youth group justice conference.

For more information, check out our pages on:

• cautions;
• youth justice conferences / restorative justice conferences; and
• penalties given by the Court.

If you’re under 25 and you’ve been accused of a crime and want to know what could happen, please contact us here and we can give you free advice and information. Everything you tell us will be kept confidential.