Defence for Children International

Beijing Rules

DEFINITIONS USED IN THE RULES

Juvenile
A juvenile is defined as a child or young person who, under the respective legal systems, may be dealt with for an offence in a manner which is different from an adult. Thus the Rules look to the nature of the punishment of the offence rather than the offender in determining who is a juvenile. The later JDL Rules amend the definition of juvenile to any person under the age of 18, which is consistent with the definition of a child given at Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Offence
An offence is any behaviour that is punishable by law under the States respective legal systems.

Juvenile Offender
This is a child or young person who is alleged to have committed or has been found to have committed an offence.

Application of the Rules
The Rules also apply to juveniles who may be punished for any specific behaviour not punishable if committed by an adult, "status offences", (e.g. truancy), juveniles in welfare and care proceedings and young adult offenders.

Fundamental Principles