Review: The Juvenile Courts, Their Work and Problems
| DOI | 10.1177/002201834701100314 |
| Published date | 01 July 1947 |
| Date | 01 July 1947 |
| Subject Matter | Review |
Reviews
THE
JUVENILE
COURTS,
THEIR
WORK
AND
PROBLEMS.
By F. T. Giles,
L.L.B.,
with
aforeword
by
Sir
Bertram
Watson, Chief Metropolitan
Magistrate. 6s.
net
(Allen &Unwin) 1946.
Mr. Giles (who is Chief Clerk of
the
Clerkenwell Magistrates' Court
and
was for some years Chief Clerk of
the
London
Juvenile
Courts)
has
written
a book
that
should be
read
not
only
by those whose work lies in
the
criminal
courts-Police,
Magistrates, Clerks,
Probation
Officers
and
Solicitors-but
by all citizens who have regard for
the
state
of our society.
It
is a lucid account,
attractively
written, of
the
enigma of
Juvenile
Delinquency,
the
Juvenile
Courts
and
society,
the
law affecting juveniles,
the
work of
Probation
Officer
and
Psychologist,
with
acomparison of
English
and
American methods,
and
aglimpse of
future
trends
in
the
treatment
of young offenders.
It
is
the
book of a
man
ripe
with
experience who wields an
able
pen.
Truly
it
might
be
said
that'
None so voluble
about
Juvenile
Delin-
quency,
and
none so
ready
to criticise
the
measures which
are
being
taken
to
combat
it,
as those who
are
least
acquainted
with
it.'
The
more
widely Mr. Giles' book is read,
the
more
sympathetic
will
the
public
attitude
be
likely
to become towards those who
are
devoting
their
lives
to
this
great,
and
grave, social problem.
Every
aspect of
the
problem,
both
in
the
courts
and
outside
them,
is
dealt
with,
and
although
we
have
no space here to describe
adequately
the ten
chapters
which comprise
this
excellent
book,
there
is
much
wisdom
worthy
of
quotation
in each of them.
Particularly
would we
call
attention
to
the
author's
suggestions (p. 51) on
the
procedure of
Magistrates (and of
their
Clerks) in
court
work;
for he does
not
flinch
from criticizing
certain
practices in
this
connection. Magistrates, he
reminds us, should
not
"attempt
to do
the
work of
the
probation
officer
by
seeking to induce a mood of confession
and
repentance
in
the
middle
of a crowded
court
room.
If
it
comes
at
all,
that
will come
later
when
the
probation
officer
has
won
the
child's confidence. Some
magistrates
of
great
energy
and
dominant
personality
have
atendency,
like
Nick
Bottom
the
weaver, to
play
not
only
their
own
part
but
everyone else's.
They
put
the
charges for
the
clerk, examine
the
witnesses for
the
prose-
cution, cross-examine
them
for
the
defence,
sum
up for themselves,
and
thus
unwearied in well-doing go on to begin
the
work of
reclamation
for
the
probation
officer.
"
In
some
courts
the
clerk
steals
much
of
his
magistrates'
thunder.
This
is worse
than
the
'much
speaking'
chairman,
because
the
clerk's
334
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