Government lawyers have begun looking at parental responsibility legislation which could see moms and dads in Bermuda go to jail for their children's behaviour, Attorney General Kim Wilson said yesterday.

She told a press conference that prison time and heavy fines would be the toughest sanctions parents would face if they failed to rein in delinquent offspring.

Premier Ewart Brown announced the idea last month as one of several proposals contained in a Cabinet "road map" aimed at tackling escalating youth violence. And Senator Wilson said yesterday it would be "systematically and aggressively implemented".

"There is growing, justified concern in the community about juvenile crime and the state of Bermuda's families," she said.

"And in echoing the Premier's recent statement, we in the Ministry of Justice believe that the strongest line of defence in this fight lies in the hands of parents.

"However, in those extreme cases where a child is exhibiting anti-social behaviour detrimental to this community, and the parent fails to take the necessary steps to rein that child in, then we as a Government will be forced to act."

She added: "To that end, I can confirm that Government is actively considering the enactment of parental responsibility legislation."

Sen. Wilson said Government lawyers were looking at legislation abroad including in the US, Canada and Australia to assess what could be applicable for the Island. She said methods used elsewhere included requiring parents to attend juvenile court hearings, involving them in court proceedings, making them pay restitution to victims or perform community service.

"The Ministry of Justice is actively pursuing this initiative on behalf of the Government and the people of Bermuda," said Sen. Wilson.

"In addition, at my request as the Minister of Justice, the chairman of the Law Reform Committee is in the process of appointing a panel of criminal lawyers and jurists to review Bermuda's laws to ensure that they adequately address criminal behaviour in Bermuda."

"The law is a mirror of society and must evolve to reflect the needs of changing times and conditions."

"As such, the deterioration of the social conditions in Bermuda requires that the laws that govern the criminal justice system be reviewed."