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Youth - provincial-court-youth-criminal-cases
The Provincial Court hears virtually all criminal cases involving youth from ages 12 to 17, and that includes the charge of murder. Youth in Canada cannot be “tried as an adult”, but if they are found guilty of a very serious offence, the Crown could ask that they be sentenced as an adult.

Children under 12 cannot be charged with a criminal offence. However, if it is believed that a child under 12 may have committed a crime, the Family Court in Provincial Court can conduct a hearing. This hearing will consider the child’s safety and well being and whether they are being cared for appropriately.

Young people accused of committing a crimes are treated differently than adults charged of the same things. There are more protections in place, more restrictions on how long they can spend in jail, and more of an emphasis on rehabilitation. There also are more opportunities to deal with them outside of court, through programs designed to address underlying causes of their behaviour, help them take responsibility, and hold them accountable without giving them a criminal record. This is to account for the fact that they have not fully grown up.

Appeals
Summary offences or sentences from Provincial Court in BC are appealed to the Supreme Court.

Indictable offence convictions or sentences are appealed to the Court of Appeal.

Bail decisions on either indictable or summary offences can be reviewed in the Supreme Court.