Few of us are able to look back on our youth without the occasional wince at our misjudgments. If we are fortunate, these are restricted to questionable tastes in fashion or hairstyles. But for some, their lack of maturity leads them into trouble with the law.
While the inexperience of youth can never justify criminal activity, most people accept that adolescence is a time when a degree of leeway ought to be granted to the minority who end up going off the rails.
This is a stage in life when we leave behind the values of those who raised us and experiment to determine our own set of standards. Few of those who break the law at a young age are likely to become habitual criminals or pose a serious ongoing risk to the community.
This philosophy explains why unlike adults, who deserve to face the full consequences of their actions, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department treats underage offenders differently.
As The National reported yesterday, this targeted approach to young offenders who commit petty offences has been vindicated by recent results.
The number of cases going to court has almost halved to 492 last year from 991 in 2013 because the department has pursued a policy favouring reconciliation and rehabilitation over punishment.
There will always be cases when the court’s punitive options are warranted, such as in serious cases of violence or drug addiction or where there is repeat offending.
However, given that most of the charges tend to be minor and often committed because of group pressure from their peers, this should not be the case for the majority of those who come to the attention of the police.
The experience of going through the judicial process for the first time tends to have a very sobering effect on such youthful overenthusiasm without the need to end in a criminal record.
