7 . Rights of juveniles
o Basic procedural safeguards such as the presumption of innocence, the right to be
notified of the charges, the right to remain silent, the right to counsel, the right to the
presence of a parent or guardian, the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses and
the right to appeal to a higher authority shall be guaranteed at all stages of proceedings.
o The juvenile's right to privacy shall be respected at all stages in order to avoid harm
being caused to her or him by undue publicity or by the process of labelling.
• In principle, no information that may lead to the identification of a juvenile offender
shall be published.
• .Upon the apprehension of a juvenile, her or his parents or guardian shall be
immediately notified of such apprehension, and, where such immediate notification is
not possible, the parents or guardian shall be notified within the shortest possible time
thereafter.
• A judge or other competent official or body shall, without delay, consider the issue of
release.
• Contacts between the law enforcement agencies and a juvenile offender shall be
managed in such a way as to respect the legal status of the juvenile, promote the wellbeing of the juvenile and avoid harm to her or hi m, with due regard to the
circumstances of the case.
8. Diversion
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Consideration shall be given, wherever appropriate, to dealing with juvenile offenders without
resorting to formal trial by the competent authority, referred to in rule 14.1 below.
The police, the prosecution or other agencies dealing with juvenile cases shall be empowered to
dispose of such cases, at their discretion, without recourse to formal hearings, in accordance
with the criteria laid down for that purpose in the respective legal system and also in
accordance with the principles contained in these Rules.
Any diversion involving referral to appropriate community or other services shall require the
consent of the juvenile, or her or his parents or guardian, provided that such decision to refer a
case shall be subject to review by a competent authority, upon application.
In order to facilitate the discretionary disposition of juvenile cases, efforts shall be made to
provide for community programmes, such as temporary supervision and guidance, restitution,
and compensation of victims.
recommends the provision of viable alternatives to juvenile justice processing in the form of
community-based diversion. Programmes that involve settlement by victim restitution and
those that seek to avoid future conflict with the law through temporary supervision and
guidance are especially commended. The merits of individual cases would make diversion
appropriate, even when more serious offences have been committed (for example first offence,
the act having been committed under peer pressure, etc.).
9. Specialization within the police