Juveniles in Court: The Purpose and Limits of Punishment

Public debates on juvenile crime often culminate in calls for harsher penalties for young offenders. But what are the goals of punishment—deterrence, rehabilitation, or prevention? And why is a distinction made between juvenile and adult criminal law? The Forum Recht Foundation discusses these and other questions on „Let’s Talk About Recht“ with a juvenile court judge and author Dr. Alessandro Bellardita.

The Forum Recht Foundation invites you to Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. invites you to a new installment of the „Let’s Talk About Law“ discussion series to speak with the juvenile court judge Dr. Alessandro Bellardita to discuss the purpose and limitations of punishment for young offenders.

The legal expert offers insights into his day-to-day work as a judge and discusses the opportunities and challenges of juvenile criminal law. Together with the host Marie-Elisabeth Miersch Drawing on research from the Forum Recht Foundation, he analyzes current debates—such as the discussion about lowering the age of criminal responsibility or the claim that youth with a migrant background are more likely to commit crimes.

„Our background is part of our lives. Nevertheless, one must not limit a person’s life to their background,“ says Dr. Alessandro Bellardita.

Dr. Alessandro Bellardita is familiar with both sides of the criminal justice system: After earning his doctorate and spending his first few years as a lawyer, the native of Sicily worked as a prosecutor specializing in organized crime before becoming a judge in 2017. Today, he is the presiding judge of the Juvenile Lay Judges„ Court in Karlsruhe. As a journalist and author, he navigates the tension between law and society—for example, in his latest crime novel, *The Sicilian File*, which explores the Mafia in Germany, or in his legal-political treatise *Democracy and Pluralism*, which was published earlier this year.

The audience is warmly invited to join the discussion and ask their own questions.