Amendment made: 51, in schedule 3, page 72, line 49 , at end insert—

“( ) If—

(a) the person gives a written indication of plea before attaining the age of 18 years, and

(b) after the person attains that age, the court is considering whether to deal with the person as an adult,

the court may only deal with the person in a way that it could have dealt with the person if he or she had indicated that plea at a hearing which took place before the person attained 18 years.” —

The amendment provides that, if the defendant reaches 18 after giving a written indication of plea, the court must exercise its powers to deal with the defendant as an adult in a way that it could have if the plea had been given at a hearing before the defendant turned 18.