Just launchedEditorial No. 01 · 2026
Between Rehabilitation and Retribution
The Evolution and Realities of Juvenile Justice
By Anthony B. Choy, Alison Lee, Pranjal Thakur, Austin B. Kwok, Felicity A. Ricardo, Alyssa Gurung
Opening argument
The law forbids children from purchasing cigarettes, signing legally binding contracts, or casting votes because society recognises that young minds require protection and guidance.
Yet before the emergence of specialised juvenile courts, children were tried through systems designed for adults. The juvenile justice system developed around a different proposition: children are not miniature adults, even when they break the law.
This inaugural HKSALS editorial traces that evolution across jurisdictions, examines Hong Kong’s legal framework, and asks whether institutions labelled rehabilitative consistently deliver humane, developmentally appropriate outcomes.
“Juvenile justice earns its claim to be rehabilitative not when it shows mercy in easy cases, but when it continues to recognise the developmental potential of young people in the most difficult ones.”
The full publication includes comparative legal history, statutory analysis, Hong Kong case studies, and complete academic references.
Full publication