reality it was difficult to execute. Due to a lack of a formal address system, it was not easily accessible to contact parents/guardians. Issues such as this, ultimately led to officers persuading juveniles to inflate their age so they could get around the more complicated rules of the juvenile justice system, such as contacting parents. In addition, though the code outlines the necessity for legal representation these researchers observed that most juveniles did not have. Juvenile Justice Act of (2003) JJA The Code underwent another wave of reformation under the JJA. The objective of the JJA was to protect children's rights and to meet international standards and norms. This was the first major in juvenile justice policy since the Criminal Procedure Act. The JJA defines a juvenile offender in Ghana as someone between the ages of 12 and 18 who commits a crime. The court can then impose a sentence of one month and upwards or with a fine. The JJA aimed to reform the system to be more on the basis of welfare, international standards of human rights, and restorative justice. A juvenile first makes contact with the system through an arrest. One can be arrested with or without a warrant. Both public officials and private people can arrest juveniles. A private person can arrest a juvenile when a crime is committed in that private persons presence. The private person can arrest the juvenile, but then must hand over the juvenile to the authorities. The JJA emphasizes the importance on releasing juveniles through bail unless the juvenile is of serious danger to the community. The importance of bail is also emphasized through international law and customs. The juvenile will then go through the juvenile court. The juvenile court is responsible with the jurisdiction of all juvenile cases except if the juvenile is charged with an adult. A juvenile is charged as an adult if they are charged with an offense that would grant the death penalty, or when a juvenile court is not constituted for an area. The JJA maintained sentencing in both an institutional and non-institutional way. There is a juvenile court in all 10 regions of Ghana. Under the JJA in the court there is supposed to be a judge, a court clerk, a social worker or a probation officer, a police officer, the parent or guardian, a two-member panel and depending on the case a witness.