There are currently two Youth Courts in Scotland, located in Airdrie and Hamilton Sheriff Courts. These courts deal with 16-17 year olds, a significant percentage of whom might be categorised as persistent young offenders.
Youth courts can be regarded as transitional courts between the Childrens' Hearings system and the full adult criminal justice system and combine fast track arrangements with a wider range of community based support interventions for those who receive a community disposal.
The future of the youth courts is due for review in Spring 2009.
Further reading
An Evaluation of the Airdrie and Hamilton Youth Court Pilots was published in November 2006.