Children's Hearings System- Background & History

The Scottish Children's hearings system is based on a Scandinavian model and is the result of a report in the mid-sixties by the then High Court judge Lord Kilbrandon into juvenile justice.

Kilbrandon believed that the child himself could not be held totally responsible for his wrong doings and thus the wider picture of home environment, parental care and responsibility are among the factors which must be taken into account.

The hearings system sets out to look at the child as a whole and addressing his/her needs and deeds together.