He notes that the new legislation prescribes that children are capable of developing a criminal intent and that, if they commit a criminal act, they should be charged under the Criminal Code. As a corollary, extensive protections provided for in the arrest, bail, trial, and sentencing procedures allow for considerable adult assistance for learning disabled young offenders, especially those who have active family support. He outlines what may happen to one involved in the criminal-young offenders process and describes safeguards which may be of particular benefit to the learning disabled child: the right to legal counsel, protections in the giving of statements, parental involvement in the arrest and court processes, and assessments and predisposition reports. The writer concludes that the Act will not be equitably applied unless parents, the bar, social resources, and probation officers within each community assume a strong advocacy role for the young people involved in the process.