The presentation deals with issues of unnecessary delay in juvenile cases.

1. Avoidance of Unnecessary Delay in
Juvenile Justice
Olga Petrova, Associate Professor (Belarusian State
University), email : petrova@open.by

2. International Standards
 Art. 20.1 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the
Administration of Juvenile Justice ("The Beijing
Rules"), adopted by General Assembly resolution
40/33 of 29 November 1985
“Each case shall from the outset be handled
expeditiously, without any unnecessary delay”
 Art. 40 b (iii) the Convention on the Rights of Child,
adopted by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20
November 1989

3. Special Reasons for Avoidance Delay in
Juvenile Cases
 Lower intellectual and psychological ability to relate
s/he has done and what will be consequences of
his/her actions.
 Best interests of child
 Time element for child is more important than for adults,
etc.
 Risk of commitment other offences

4. How to provide appropriate duration of
juvenile cases
 Establishment of time frames for criminal
proceedings
 Control of the reasons of extension of proceeding’s
time
 Caseload management
 etc.

5. Diversion, inc. Restorative Justice program,
and Avoiding Undue Delay
 “+” diversion and informal justice cut time of case
adjudication
 “-” it takes additional time in of case the program has
been failed

6. Thank you for your attention!