9. Basically, diversion allows for the referral of a child away from the formal court system to some form of diversion option or programme which represents an alternative to the formal criminal justice system, and instead the child is held accountable for his or her actions through this process. The benefits of this include ensuring that the child receives an intervention based on his or her individual circumstances aimed at preventing him or her from re- offending and producing the best outcome for the child as well as promoting public safety. In addition, the child does not incur a previous conviction, thereby allowing him or her to become a productive member of society without the stigma attached of a criminal record. However, precisely because diversion represents an alternative to the formal criminal justice system, the Bill carefully regulates the issue. The Bill has created a system of checks and balances to ensure that diversion is not a 'soft option' for children who commit crime. These checks and balances include only allowing for the diversion of serious offences in exceptional circumstances; requiring the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide on whether children charged with more serious offences can be diverted; providing that a presiding officer may decline to make a diversion order even if requested by a prosecutor. Other measures include the adoption of minimum norms and standards for the content of diversion programmes; the regular accreditation of diversion service providers; quality assurance; and the monitoring of diversion orders. There are also mechanisms to bring the child back into the criminal justice system should he or she fail to comply with a diversion order. The Committee has created a carefully balanced system of diversion in order to ensure that children are diverted from the formal criminal justice system, while also ensuring that such diversion is not only in the interests of the child, but also society.