Law and Order
Our legal system is a collection of the rules and procedures that govern our society. If you break the law, it is the police's job to find and arrest you, and if the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) thinks there is enough evidence against you, you will be taken to court and tried. If you are found guilty, your punishment will depend on how severe the crime is. As a young person you will be treated differently by the police and the courts to how an adult would be treated. You can't be questioned by the police without an appropriate adult (like your parent or carer) there, and you will have specially trained people with you through the trial process.
You may also come into the contact with the courts without having done anything wrong. If your family is having problems, or if your parents' relationship is breaking up, the courts may have to get involved. This is to make sure that the solution is fair to everyone involved, and that everything's done with your best interests in mind. There are services that will try to help your family to resolve any differences without it coming to the court process, and services that will support you through it if it does come to this. You can also get support through the legal process if you are being adopted, or if you are going to be looked after in the community (in care).
Unfortunately, at some point you may also be a victim, or a witness in a trial. There are also services there to support you through this, and to give you lots of info in advance so that you know what to expect.
To find out more about the law and how it may affect you, take a look at this article: