“Major changes are being made to the way that courts may sentence young offenders. On 27 April, provisions were brought into force to increase the use of referral orders. These are mandatory if the offence is imprisonable and a first-time offender admits the offence and all connected offences, and the court does not deal with the matter by way of an absolute discharge, hospital order or custodial sentence.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd December 2009
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
