By Martin Beckford Victim: James Bulger, two, was murdered in 1993 Young children suspected of crimes could be spared trial under controversial plans raised by  a leading official. Lord McNally, the new head of the youth justice quango, is the most senior serving figure to suggest the Government should look at raising the  age of criminal responsibility from ten to 12. In his first interview since taking up the post in March, he also said Ministers should consider replacing traditional youth courts with informal panels similar to those in Scotland. The Liberal Democrat peer, a justice minister until last year, claimed the main obstacle to the sweeping change was the fear of politicians that the media would say it meant the two ten-year-old boys who abducted and murdered two-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool in 1993 would have got away with the crime.
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Lord McNally suggests raising age of criminal responsibility to 12
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Added Minister should replace youth courts with informal panels
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Is first interview since official took headship of youth justice quango
Calling for a review: Minister of State for Justice @placeholder