This study asks the question: ‘Does diversion work?’ ‘What is the role of communities?’ ‘The consequences of diversion, the role of legal presentation in the SA diversion process and the Child Justice
This study asks the question: ‘Does diversion work?’ ‘What is the role of communities?’ ‘The consequences of diversion, the role of legal presentation in the SA diversion process and the Child Justice Bill, Act 49 of 2002.’
Empirically, the study was conducted among 307 magistrates in Gauteng regarding several aspects of diversion and was concluded in February 2003. Only 97 magistrates responded, yielding a return rate of 31.59% (Badenhorst and Conradie 2004:115-130).
The current study ‘Juvenile Diversion: in Search for a New Paradigm’ was conducted during December 2004 to July 2005 in Durban. A total of 275 case file were scrutinised to obtain an overall ‘picture’ of the juvenile offenders diverted in and around Durban for treatment and rehabilitation. This study emphasises a different aspect of diversion, namely how many juveniles were allocated to the various programmes.
