Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill

This bill would change the minimum age at which children can be charged with crimes in England and Wales. Currently, children aged 10 and above can face criminal charges. The bill would raise this age limit, meaning younger children could not be prosecuted in criminal courts. Instead, they would be dealt with through other support services. The government says this will better protect children and focus on helping them rather than punishing them. Critics argue this could mean some serious crimes go unpunished and victims may not get justice. The bill would align England and Wales more closely with other European countries, which typically have higher minimum ages for criminal responsibility. The change would affect how police, courts, and social services handle cases involving children who break the law.

• 1Raises the minimum age for criminal prosecution above the current age of 10
• 2Children below the new age limit cannot be charged with crimes in court
• 3Young offenders would be handled through support services instead of criminal justice
• 4Aims to focus on helping children rather than punishing them
• 5Would bring England and Wales closer to European standards on child justice