What do Canadian Adults Know About Youths’ Legal Rights in the Criminal Justice System?

Youth involved in the Canadian criminal justice system often rely on a parent for advice and advocacy during their procession through the system. Despite the Youth Criminal Justice Act affording parents a significant role in their child’s case, there is limited evidence that parents, or adults broadly, can effectively advocate for their child. In this study, we modify an American measure of legal knowledge about youths’ rights for a Canadian audience and explore Canadian adults’ levels of knowledge. We found that adults overall had limited legal knowledge of youths’ rights, calling into question their ability to effectively overcome youths’ developmental limitations.