The Child Justice Act, 2008 (Act 75 of 2008) and the Use/Possession of Cannabis by Children

The Child Justice Act, 2008 which came into operation on 1 April 2010 created a separate criminal justice system for children. It changed the way that we deal with children who have committed crime. Recent developments in case law focussed on the use/ possession of cannabis by adults and children. The webinar will look at the changes and the way forward in dealing with children using/ possessing cannabis.

Presenter:

Dr. Charmain Badenhorst,

Director, Child Justice and Family Law (Department of Justice and Constitutional Development)

Dr. Badenhorst holds a B.luris, LLB, BA (Hons) (Criminology), Master of Arts (Criminology) and DLitt et Phil (Criminology) and has been admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. She commenced her career as a prosecutor in magistrate courts and has 18 years' experience in the legal and crime prevention environment. She specializes in child justice, criminal justice, crime prevention, research and the development of safety strategies. She worked as a Senior Researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and is currently the Director: Child Justice and Family Law at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. She is the author of various publications on child justice.