Who may order an investigation under the Juvenile Act, whom must it be directed to, and what may it cover?
General information · Not legal advice
Material to check
In a juvenile practice file we read the investigation order to see who signed it as juvenile division judge and whether it was addressed to the investigation officer, and the officer's report, which shows whether the subject matter covered the interrogation of the juvenile, the guardian or a reference witness, or another matter treated as necessary.
These are types of material to look for, not evidence already verified by PRO SE.
Where readings differ
One reading takes the provision as naming both the actor and the addressee: only the juvenile division judge may order, the order runs only to the investigation officer, and it may direct the interrogation of the person concerned in the case, the guardian or a reference witness, or the investigation of any other matter the judge treats as necessary, with the word 'may' leaving the decision to order to the judge.
Another reading focuses on the phrase 'other necessary matters', which the provision does not define, so a file has to show what was actually investigated and on whose order; the provision settles the subjects of interrogation but leaves the scope beyond them open.
Your judgment
If the order names a subject the file cannot connect to the juvenile's case, how could a reader show that it was nevertheless a matter necessary to investigate?
PRO SE does not make this decision or keep a case record on this public site.When to reconsider
We look at this again if the provision is amended to change who may order an investigation or to add a further subject of interrogation, or if a court decision explains what may count as a necessary matter under it.