A Bill to raise the age of criminal responsibility had its first reading last month, with the purpose of raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years to 12 years of age. If this becomes law the Act will be known as the Age of Criminal Responsibility Act 2013 and would alter the Children and Young Persons Act 1993.
Liberal Democrat Lord Dholokia introduced a Private Members’ Bill in the House of Lords in January, saying that it is wrong for children to be criminalised at such a young age.
He added that the present arrangement has been criticised by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and is not compatible with the UK’s obligations under the international standards of juvenile justice.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has been urged to raise the age of criminal responsibility from ten since it emerged that 2,000 primary-school-age children were arrested in 2011, often for little more than pranks.
Although the number of childhood arrests has fallen in recent years, The Howard League for Penal Reform claims childhood arrests can lead to numerous problems later in life with some youngsters struggling to access further education and even find work.
Researchers have also suggested that being introduced to the criminal justice system at a young age can lead to children becoming entrenched in the culture rather than put off following a life of crime.
While critics have also said that adopting such a low age is also illogical given other age-related legislation, such as not being able to buy a pet until children are 12, do a paper round until they are 13, consent to sex until they are 16 or drive until they are 17.
In addition, the attribution of full culpability at such a young age runs counter to all the available evidence on children’s cognitive and emotional development.