There have been arrests, prosecutions and convictions of youngsters and students resulting from the social unrest since June last year. Recently, explosives and chemicals were found by Police. It would be catastrophic if they were used for unscrupulous purposes. Some of the youngsters might have been mistakenly led to believe that use of violence should be considered as a means to achieve their aspirations. However, I hope that they appreciate that law-breaking behaviour would always have legal consequences.

It is very troubling to see from the media reports that underage children or students are taking part in unlawful activities and even getting involved in violence. In so doing, they would not only put their own and others' safety at risk, but could also be arrested and prosecuted resulting in criminal records upon convictions. Their future in education and employment would inevitably be affected.

There are misleading suggestions that all young offenders would only be cautioned under the Police Superintendent's Discretion Scheme without criminal records. One must understand that Police, in deliberating whether to administer a caution, have to take into account a number of factors, such as whether the juvenile offender was under the age of 18 at the time of committing the offence; the seriousness and nature of the offence; whether the offender voluntarily and unequivocally admits the offence; whether the offender is remorseful and so on. Therefore, the scheme does not apply to all young offenders indiscriminately.

Similarly, bind over orders are only appropriate for first-time offenders involving minor offences and they have to be agreed by the courts. Under the bind over arrangement, offenders are required to admit the wrongdoings and are admonished in an open court. They also need to give an undertaking to the court to be of good behaviour. Imprisonment might be imposed for breaching the undertaking. Before agreeing to such a procedure on specified conditions, the prosecution has to give considerations to various factors including the age of the offender, criminal record, and attitude of the offender such as remorsefulness and so on.

There are also comments that prosecutions against young offenders should be withdrawn on the basis of public interest. I have to stress again that the Department of Justice (DoJ) must strictly make our prosecutorial decisions in accordance with admissible evidence, applicable laws and the Prosecution Code. The non-exhaustive list of considerations to be addressed when making assessment in considering public interest, including those applicable to juvenile offenders, were set out in 5.9 and 15.4 of the Prosecution Code, which include the nature of the offence, the seriousness of the offence, the criminal history of the suspect, remorsefulness of the suspect and the sentencing options available to the court and so on. Prosecutors should follow the above principles in making their decisions and must not withdraw charges unjustifiably under the pretext of public interest.

In considering the above arrangements, the DoJ has to carefully examine the circumstances of each case in an objective manner and strictly in accordance with the established principles. A decision cannot be made solely based on the age of the offenders. Their legal representatives are not only duty bound to inform them of their rights but also have an obligation to remind them of the legal consequences and the availability and considerations in relation to the above arrangements.

As observed by Lord Diplock, "[t]he acceptance of the rule of law as a constitutional principle requires that a citizen, before committing himself to any course of action, should be able to know in advance what are the legal consequences that will flow from it". Every member of the public must be aware that one has to bear the legal responsibility resulting from law-breaking behaviour. I sincerely hope that every one, in particular the youngsters, should exercise their independent thinking and judgement, and, more importantly, stay away from violence and not commit mistakes that might ruin their lives in the future.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on May 9.

(University of Exeter) The public would comply with major changes to medical advice - but would then be less likely to follow other new guidelines in the future, research shows.

Wellbeing might not seem the obvious place to talk about PPE - but lack of appropriate PPE is causing healthcare staff a great deal of stress now. Mary Brindle is a pediatric surgeon and the director of The EQuIS (Efficiency Quality Innovation and Safety) Research platform at Alberta Children’s hospital. In this podcast she reflects on the use...

We’ve published info on Telehealth in primary care - and have been overwhelmed by the response from GPs who are finding it useful. But it’s not only primary care that is dramatically shifting to remote care - routine hospital care is moving online too, so we’ve asked Rowena McCash - GP and out of hours triage trainer joins us to give some tips...

There is no doubt that anxiety levels that clinicians are feeling during this pandemic are high. One military medic believes the current situation is comparable to his experience when posted during British campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. Cormac Doyle offers advice on how to deal with high-stress conditions, both in a work and at home, as...

For loners, recluses, and other solitary types such as myself, sheltering-in-place feels natural and normal. However scary other aspects of this pandemic might be, for us, this aspect isn’t. Working...

Depression is one of the most common mental health issues in the United States. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 1 in 14 Americans experienced an episode of major depression in the last year alone. Given the circumstances surrounding the current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, many in the mental health community predict that the number will be even higher this year because these circumstances are creating a “perfect storm” of depression risks. The widespread prevalence of depression has a lot of implications for our lives, even if we don’t personally have depression ourselves. Many of us will have loved ones, such as a romantic partner, who develops depression at some point. In these situations, it’s common for people to wonder how they can help their partner most effectively. So what should they do?

The Trump administration has shelved a document created by the nation’s top disease investigators with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging coronavirus outbreak.

The Trump administration has shelved a document created by the nation’s top disease investigators with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging coronavirus outbreak.

This paper is intended to provide a technical support resource for the reader in relation to the treatment of superannuation under family law.

Edinburgh : W.P. Nimmo, [1867]

Five of the top NHL prospects took part in a video call with Gretzky and were given advice as they prepare to take the next step in their careers.

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently one of the world’s most pressing issues and one that is increasingly shaping government policies. To help provide policy support and information to member [...]

SUCCESS in athletics can often be a family affair. Scots such as Callum Hawkins and Eilish McColgan have thrived under the tutelage of their parents, while track star Jake Wightman is another who has preferred to turn to his family to coach him to success on the track.

If you're yearning for all the gardening shows that have been cancelled, you can still be inspired by exploring gorgeous virtual gardens now and throughout the summer, from the comfort of your armchair.

New findings on a state initiative in Wisconsin suggest that to make the most out of smaller class sizes in the early grades, teachers should focus on basic skills when they have one-on-one contact with students, ask children to discuss and demonstrate what they know, and have a firm, but nurturing,

Primary care settings provide an important venue for early detection of substance use and intervention, but adolescent screening rates need improvement. Screening and brief interventions appear effective in reducing adult problem drinking but evidence for effectiveness among adolescents is needed.

A computer-facilitated system for screening, feedback, and provider brief advice for primary care can increase adolescent receipt of substance use screening across a variety of practice settings, and shows promise for reducing adolescents’ use of alcohol and cannabis. (Read the full article)

Evidence regarding effectively screening and counseling adolescents about unhealthy alcohol use is accumulating. Young adults aged 18 to 24, those most at risk for excess alcohol consumption, are often not asked or counseled by physicians about unhealthy alcohol use.

In 2010 among US 10th graders (age 16), 36% drank, 28% binged, and 23% were drunk in the past month; although 82% saw a doctor, 54% were asked about drinking but only 17% were advised to reduce or stop drinking. (Read the full article)

Cigarette smoking during adolescence causes significant health problems. Health care providers play an important role in promoting tobacco use abstinence among adolescents, but recent data on the prevalence of provider screening and advice to adolescents are lacking.

This study uses nationally representative surveillance data to provide current estimates of self-reported receipt of health professional screening and advice about tobacco use among US adolescents. Cessation behaviors and correlates of past-year quit attempts among smokers were also explored. (Read the full article)

Parental adherence to recommended infant care practices (eg, breastfeeding; safe sleep) is below targeted goals. Adherence to practice recommendations increases when parents receive appropriate advice from multiple sources such as family and physicians.

Using a nationally representative sample, this study explores the advice mothers receive about safe sleep, immunization, breastfeeding, and pacifier use; the findings suggest infant care practices about which mothers receive little or inappropriate advice, suggesting possible targets for intervention. (Read the full article)

Very carefully, experts say, while understanding that federal laws governing special education were not written with online education in mind.

Nationally, at least five million children have at least one parent who is undocumented. Supporting those children should be a priority if the threat of a raid is not imminent, advocates said.

Very carefully, experts say, while understanding that federal laws governing special education were not written with online education in mind.

A leading autism researcher and former special education teacher offers advice to help students cope with the abrupt changes brought on by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Throughout the pandemic Penn State has been active in offering support and advice to all of its students, including those who normally reside off campus.

Recently, Team India captain Virat Kohli had also called upon people to "stay safe and vigilant" in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

The young spinner, who now has made a mark for himself in the international arena, said that he no longer remembers what Sivaramakrishnan had said to him as his mind was blank at that stage.

D.K. Metcalf says the best advice he received as a rookie was to sit down last at team meetings, as it set the tone for his approach to everything.

The advice that Pennwell’s 2014 Woman of the Year, Mary Powell, gave to women in the power industry during Tuesday’s Women in Power Luncheon might come as a surprise to some. It was this: Stop undercutting each other. Powell said the most difficult obstacles she has encountered in her various leadership roles have not come from men, but rather from other women. Small comments like “I don’t know how you do it [being a mom and holding a high-level job]”, serve to bring doubt and uncertainty to high achieving women in any industry, and ultimately can lead to women exiting their careers in order to fit what they perceive is the societal norm.

The advice that Pennwell’s 2014 Woman of the Year, Mary Powell, gave to women in the power industry during Tuesday’s Women in Power Luncheon might come as a surprise to some. It was this: Stop undercutting each other. Powell said the most difficult obstacles she has encountered in her various leadership roles have not come from men, but rather from other women. Small comments like “I don’t know how you do it [being a mom and holding a high-level job]”, serve to bring doubt and uncertainty to high achieving women in any industry, and ultimately can lead to women exiting their careers in order to fit what they perceive is the societal norm.

Amidst the attention grabbing hysteria of Coronavirus headlines, some commentators have speculated that employers may be about to face prosecution if they don’t take all precautions possible to protect staff and third parties from infection. I...

The law on force majeure differs from country to country, not least between common law and civil law jurisdictions. We have produced a both a Global Guide to Force Majeure and an Asia-Pacific Guide to Force Majeure that provides some preliminary ad...

Dunbar v Virgo Consultancy Services Limited [2019] EWHC B12 (Costs) Mr Dunbar instructed law firm Virgo Consultancy to assist a Greek legal team with a defence of his son, in a serious criminal offences action brought against him in Crete. A deposit...

Listen as our panel answer some of the most common questions clients have asked us over recent weeks as well as digging into more detail around how your business should proceed with specific legal and technical challenges. A recording of the session...

Title: Expert Offers Advice on Treating Corns, Calluses
Category: Health News
Created: 4/24/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/25/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: AHA News: Essential Advice for Stressed-Out Essential Workers
Category: Health News
Created: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM