An international perspective on legal advice for youth in the police station: Strengthening youth participation in criminal proceedings and diversion from court.

This chapter adopts an international approach to exploring policies to improve legal advice for youth while they are in police custody. It examines why it is important for youth suspects to have access to a lawyer, drawing on key studies to highlight the need for a developmentally informed approach to informing youth suspects of their legal rights and improving procedural safeguards. The chapter reviews legal aid arrangements for youth interviewed by the police in six European countries. It considers the impact that lawyers can have on case outcomes when advising youth in police interviews, particularly in relation to out-of-court disposals (a diversionary process or mechanism through which criminal offenses are dealt with outside of court rather than through formal prosecution and court proceedings). Finally, the chapter considers recommendations from recent studies that have implications for increasing legal protections and require a developmentally informed approach for youth suspects.