Constanda v M: SCS 1977

The child had been referred to a children’s hearing on the basis that he was exposed to moral danger in terms of section 32(2)(b).
Held: As the whole substratum of the ground of referral was that the child had performed certain acts which constituted criminal offences, the commission of the offences had to be proved to the criminal standard. This was despite the fact that the proceedings before the sheriff were civil proceedings, and in the absence of any rule laid down by the Act which required the criminal standard to be applied in any case other than where the child had been referred under section 32(2)(g) on the ground that he had committed an offence.

Citations:

1997 SC 217

Statutes:

Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 32(2)(b)

Cited by:

CitedClingham (formerly C (a minor)) v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Regina v Crown Court at Manchester Ex parte McCann and Others HL 17-Oct-2002
The applicants had been made subject of anti-social behaviour orders. They challenged the basis upon which the orders had been made.
Held: The orders had no identifiable consequences which would make the process a criminal one. Civil standards . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Scotland, Children

Updated: 30 April 2022; Ref: scu.224366