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Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 20 of 2026–27

Approximate read time: 13 minutes

The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill sponsored by Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat). The bill would make the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) primarily responsible for certain statutory functions relating to the youth justice system, including some that it currently shares with the secretary of state. The bill’s second reading in the House of Lords is scheduled to take place on 11 September 2026. Lord Oates was a policy and communications co-ordinator for the YJB from 2001 to 2002.

Key points

• The YJB is a non-departmental public body that has responsibility for overseeing the youth justice system. Its statutory functions are set out in legislation, specifically section 41 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It also shares other statutory powers with the secretary of state as set out in the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales Order 2000 (as amended).
• In May 2026, the government published plans to reform the YJB. This included the transferral of several key functions to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The stated purpose of the reforms is to strengthen accountability within central government for the oversight, funding and monitoring of the youth justice system. The government argued the reforms were needed to respond to new challenges in the youth justice system and ensure “clearer democratic accountability”.
• Lord Oates has expressed concern the YJB’s powers are being “steadily stripped away”. Several other members of the House of Lords have also questioned the reforms, arguing they risked weakening the YJB and reversing the positive outcomes in youth offending the board had helped to deliver over the years.

Cover image by Freepik