Juvenile criminal law
Facing criminal justice as a teenager is a particularly sensitive experience. Juvenile criminal law is based on fundamental principles: the primacy of education over punishment, individualized decisions, and consideration of the young person’s family and social environment. It is not just a matter of judging, but of understanding, supporting, and protecting.
ECLIPSE works alongside minors who are accused, but also minors who are victims, ensuring that their rights, dignity, and future are scrupulously respected.
The firm is called upon at the request of parents, social or educational institutions, shelters, or minors themselves, with particular attention paid to the relationship of trust, which is essential in this type of procedure.
ECLIPSE intervenes from the very first interviews, whether the minor is the alleged perpetrator or the victim. These interviews, which are often filmed, can be experienced as intrusive or intimidating. The firm ensures that the young person’s rights are fully respected, that the procedure is clearly explained, and that the child or adolescent is accompanied throughout the interview.
We also assist minors during reconstructions, the creation of identikit pictures, and confrontations, including those involving the police. If necessary, we visit the homes or institutions where young people live to provide comprehensive, humane, and reassuring support in their everyday environment.
Support for minors does not end with the judgment. ECLIPSE also assists young people who have been convicted, once the legal process is over, in applying for judicial rehabilitation and the removal of entries from their criminal records, thereby promoting full and peaceful reintegration. The law provides tools to turn the page: the firm is there to activate them at the right time, with discernment and kindness.
ECLIPSE, through a lawyer registered on the specialized list of lawyers for children, is authorized to intervene directly with minors, including in proceedings where they are acting without their legal representatives. This recognition is testament to our solid experience and particular sensitivity to the psychological, social, and educational issues surrounding young people in the justice system. It enables the firm to provide comprehensive, tailored, and confidential support in the best interests of the minor.
Juvenile criminal law
Areas of expertise
From the moment of police custody, during hearings by the police or juvenile court judge, before the juvenile court, or in the context of alternative measures to prosecution (warnings, reparations, mediation).
Theft, violence, harassment, damage to property, cybercrime, assault, etc., with particular attention paid to age, recidivism, and educational background.
Support in filing complaints, investigations, confrontations, hearings, and claims for compensation, with care tailored to their age and vulnerability.
Assistance for minors summoned before school disciplinary councils or committees, to ensure that their rights are respected in what is often an informal and poorly supervised setting.
Communication with social services, educators, and shelters, and coordination with imposed educational measures (probation, placement, removal, or restitution measures).
Advice and legal representation on the family, educational, and legal consequences of criminal proceedings involving a minor.
