to life imprisonment, and that children may be detained in adult prisons which are reported to be
overcrowded and in extremely poor conditions.190
With regards to the age of criminal responsibility it was recommended that proper legislation be
enacted and brought into force, to raise the age of criminal responsibility to an internationally
acceptable standard.191 This will ensure that more offenders enjoy the protection guaranteed
under the convention. On the issue of sentencing it was recommended that legislation be enacted
to ensure that life imprisonment is never sentenced to persons below the age of 18.192 This is in
recognition of the argument that special procedures are necessary for juvenile offenders. One of
the main arguments of proponents of special procedures for juvenile offenders is that children are
different and less blameworthy than adults. It is argued that that protection and enhancement of
troubled children’s life chances should remain a major youth policy goal, and that modern
sentencing policies for adults are too harsh and ham-fisted to apply to a juvenile offender.193
In addressing deprivation of liberty the committee recommended that measures be put in place to
ensure that detained children are always separated from adults and that deprivation of liberty is
used only as a last resort.194 It was further stated that in cases where deprivation of liberty is
unavoidable and used as a last resort, efforts should be made to improve procedures of arrest and
conditions of detention and special units should be established for the handling of cases of
juvenile offenders. This is in recognition of previous failures of Trinidad and Tobago to
adequately ensue that children are protected in this regard. The committee merely restates the
duty that Trinidad and Tobago has been charged with under the CRC.
It was highlighted that there is a general lack of education of the rights to which a child is
entitled. In order to address the lack of education of persons who are have the responsibility with
dealing with juvenile offenders,