The age of criminal responsibility bill (in its second reading) was recently debated in the House of Lords. Lord Dholakia’s private members bill proposes an increase in the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. This is welcoming especially as such a consideration seems to have been excluded from the youth justice review’s terms of reference.
The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales being set at 10 is extremely low. It not only contravenes international rights based obligations but is arguably unfair, somewhat illogical and contradictory. For example how is it that children are considered criminally responsible at 10 but not regarded as competent – or responsible enough – to, say, put the lottery on until 16 or vote until 18?
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