THE Court of Appeal has ruled that a child before the courts for a criminal offence can be identified if they turn 18 during the proceedings, or by the time their appeal comes for hearing.
The landmark decision follows an appeal against conviction by Cameron Blair’s murderer.
In December, when dismissing the appeal, the court sought submissions on whether the now 21-year-old could be identified.
The court returned the judgment last Friday and he will be named in 28 days unless the case is taken to the Supreme Court.
The youth, who was 17 when he pleaded guilty to murder, is now 21.
His anonymity had been preserved by an interpretation of the Children Act, which held that the rules protecting the identity of child offenders still applied when that person appeared before the Court of Appeal having reached the age of 18.
