Overview

• Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, young offenders benefit from an initial presumption of diminished moral blameworthiness
• Judges must not weigh offence seriousness when evaluating whether a youth’s maturity rebuts this presumption
• The Supreme Court upheld one adult life sentence and overturned another in two Ontario murder cases using the new framework
• Courts should look for signs of adult-level planning, foresight and independence to determine moral capacity
• Experts say the ruling upholds the Act’s rehabilitative focus while giving prosecutors clear proof requirements