Bid to increase age of criminal responsibility dismissed by government
Neil Puffett
Monday, June 6, 2016
Government has rejected calls by leading children's charities for the age of criminal responsibility to be increased.
The National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ) argues there is a “clear and growing consensus” that the current age that young people become responsible for crime is too low.
At 10, the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is among the lowest in Europe.
The NAYJ called on the government to review its position, and launch a consultation on how best to raise the age.
But despite an open letter signed by more than 50 experts and organisations including the National Children’s Bureau, the Children’s Society and Action for Children, the government has indicated it has no plans to launch a review.
Youth justice minister Jeremy Wright said: "The government believes young people aged 10 and over are able to differentiate between bad behaviour and serious wrongdoing."
The NAYJ [asset_library_tag 121204,letter] said, which was also sent to Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, calls for the age of criminal responsibility should be reviewed "as a matter of urgency".
Pam Hibbert, NAYJ said: “There can be no justification for the continued prosecution of young children in our criminal courts. No-one denies that children – even young children – occasionally behave in ways that require intervention by the state.
"But few countries anywhere in the world believe that the right way to intervene is to drag young children of primary school age through the criminal courts.
"On the contrary, such behaviour is illogical, unjust and counter-productive – as well as a clear breach of the minimum international standards to which this country has signed-up.”
The call for a re-think on the age of criminal responsibility has gained increasing support in recent years.
In May last year Ian McPherson, the then Association of Chief Police Officer's lead on children and young people, called for a flexible approach to the age of criminal responsibility to be adopted.
Also last year, the Liberal Democrat party passed a motion for the age to be raised to 14.
However calls to increase the age of criminal responsibility remain controversial, largely as a result of heated debate surrounding cases such as the murder of toddler Jamie Bulger in 1993 by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, then both aged 10.
