Children's care and justice – possible changes to the law: consultation - easy read
The Scottish Government would like your views on how we can protect and support children. This is especially those in conflict with the law.
The age of criminal responsibility
The age of criminal responsibility is the minimum age that a child can be arrested or charged by the police for breaking the law. In Scotland this has increased from 8 to 12.
If a child under 12 is involved in a serious incident the police and services can take action. However the behaviour is not treated as criminal.
Lots of other countries have a higher age of criminal responsibility than 12. We are thinking about increasing this in Scotland. The age of criminal responsibility will be looked at again by 2024.
20. Should the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland be looked at before 2024?
Yes / No
Contact
Email: CC&JBill@gov.scot
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