Ages of Criminal Responsibility By Country
The following are the minimum ages at which children may be charged with a criminal offence.
| Country | Age | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 7000600000000000000 6-12 | ||
| United States | 7000600000000000000 6-12 | Age determined by each state; the minimum age is 6 (North Carolina), however, only 15 states have set minimum ages, which range from 6 to 12 years. States without statutory minimum ages rely on common law, which means that 7 is the minimum age in most states; for federal crimes the age has been set at 11. | |
| India | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Myanmar | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Nigeria | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Pakistan | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Singapore | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Sudan | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Tanzania | 7000700000000000000 7 | ||
| Indonesia | 7000800000000000000 8 | ||
| Kenya | 7000800000000000000 8 | ||
| Bangladesh | 7000900000000000000 9 | ||
| Ethiopia | 7000900000000000000 9 | ||
| Iran | 7000900000000000000 9-15 | Age 9 for girls, 15 for boys | |
| Australia | 7001100000000000000 10 | Age of criminal responsibility in Australia. Rebuttable presumption of incapacity of committing crime: under 14. |
|
| England and Wales (UK) | 7001100000000000000 10 | See youth justice in England and Wales | |
| Nepal | 7001100000000000000 10 | ||
| New Zealand | 7001100000000000000 10-14 (depending on crime) | 10 years for murder and manslaughter, 12 for crimes with a maximum imprisonment of fourteen years or more, 14 for all other offences. | |
| Northern Ireland (UK) | 7001100000000000000 10 | ||
| South Africa | 7001100000000000000 10 | The Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 came into effect 1 April 2010. There is a rebuttable presumption that a child between the ages of 10 and 14 lacks criminal capacity. | |
| Switzerland | 7001100000000000000 10 | ||
| Thailand | 7001100000000000000 10 | ||
| Turkey | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Scotland (UK) | 7001120000000000000 12 | However, the age of criminal responsibility is 8 years - if a compulsory intervention is considered necessary, a child aged between 8 and 12 years may be dealt with through the Children's Hearings system. | |
| Canada | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Hungary | 7001120000000000000 12-14 (depending on crime) | 12 for premeditated homicide, voluntary manslaughter and bodily harm leading to death or resulting in life-threatening injuries; 14 for other crimes. | |
| Ireland | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Israel | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Japan | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Morocco | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Netherlands | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| South Korea | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Uganda | 7001120000000000000 12 | ||
| Algeria | 7001130000000000000 13 | ||
| France | 7001130000000000000 13 | ||
| Austria | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| China | 7001140000000000000 14 | Absolute minimum for acts that constitute the following crimes: homicide, wounding resulting in death, rape, robbery, arson, explosion, planting of toxic substances and trafficking in dangerous drugs. The minimum age for other crimes are 16. In Hong Kong, the minimum age is 10 and in Macau, 16 | |
| Estonia | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Germany | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Italy | 7001140000000000000 14 | Juvenile judiciary system for offenders aged between 14 and 18; separate juvenile jails . Full criminal responsibility from age 18. | |
| Romania | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Russia | 7001140000000000000 14 | 16 by default, 14 years specifically for crimes as listed in Section 20 of the Criminal code, like murder, rape, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, motor vehicle theft, terror attack, stealing restricted substances like explosives or narcotics, aggravated anti-social behaviour, vandalism, false report of a terror attack | |
| Slovenia | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Spain | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Taiwan (China, Republic of) | 7001140000000000000 14 | Offenders aged 14 to 18 years qualify for reduction of sentence under section 18 of the Criminal Code. The death penalty and imprisonment without term cannot be applied to offenders aged 14 to 18 years. | |
| Ukraine | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Vietnam | 7001140000000000000 14 | ||
| Czech Republic | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Denmark | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Egypt | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Finland | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Iceland | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Norway | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Philippines | 7001150000000000000 15 | A child fifteen years of age or under at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability. However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program.
A child above fifteen years but below eighteen years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless he/she has acted with discernment. Discernment means the mental capacity to understand the difference between right and wrong and its consequences. |
|
| Sweden | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Belgium | 7001160000000000000 16 | ||
| DR Congo | 7001160000000000000 16 | ||
| Uzbekistan | 7001150000000000000 15 | ||
| Portugal | 7001160000000000000 16 | Currently being studied the possibility of lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 14. From age 12 to 15 children are kept in juvenile correction centers. | |
| Argentina | 7001180000000000000 18 | Official age of criminal responsibility; from age 16, children's actions are subject to juvenile legal proceedings. | |
| Brazil | 7001180000000000000 18 | Official age of criminal responsibility; from age 12, children's actions are subject to juvenile legal proceedings. | |
| Colombia | 7001180000000000000 18 | Official age of criminal responsibility; from age 12, children's actions are subject to juvenile legal proceedings. | |
| International Criminal Court | 7001180000000000000 18 | ||
| Peru | 7001180000000000000 18 | Official age of criminal responsibility; from age 12, children's actions are subject to juvenile legal proceedings. |
Read more about this topic: Defense Of Infancy
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