Age of Criminal Responsibility

HL Deb 27 February 1995 vol 561 cc81-2WA

Baroness Faithfull

asked Government:

What is the age of criminal responsibility in each member country of the Council of Europe and in each state of the USA.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

Our latest information is as follows:

Council of Europe
Country	Age of criminal responsibility
Andorra	16
Austria	14
Belgium	18
Bulgaria	14
Cyprus	7
Czech Republic	15
Denmark	15
Estonia	15
Finland	15
France	13
Germany	14
Greece	12
Hungary	14
Iceland	15
Ireland	7
Italy	14
Latvia	14
Liechtenstein	7
Lithuania	14
Luxembourg	18
Malta	9
Netherlands	12
Norway	15
Poland	16
Portugal	16
Romania	14
San Marino	12
Slovakia	15
Slovenia	14
Spain	16
Sweden	15
Switzerland	7
Turkey	12
United Kingdom:
England	10
Wales	10
Scotland	8
Northern Ireland	8

It should be noted that in many of the countries listed there is a difference between the age of criminal responsibility and the age at which a child may be detained for the commission of a serious offence. In France, for example, there is an irrebuttable presumption that a child under 13 cannot be held criminally responsible, but there is provision for children aged 10 and above to be brought before a civil court in respect of certain offences and for the court to order detention in a young offenders institution.

United States

In most of the United States of America the age of criminal responsibility is 18. In eight states the age is 16; these are Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas. In Connecticut, New York and South Carolina the age of criminal responsibility is 15.

All US states have provision for juveniles to be tried as adults in a criminal court. Certain serious offences, such as murder, are statutorily excluded from the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts. In all states except Nebraska and New York, a juvenile court may waive jurisdiction over a case and transfer it to a criminal court.