Reducing age limit for youth under 18 to 14 for different crime laws for arrest.

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

Reducing the arrest age from under 18 to under 14 could lead to earlier intervention and prevention strategies, Overall, reducing the age limit could help address underlying issues before they escalate and bring greater focus to the needs of younger children in the justice system.

the government were to reduce the age limit for arrest and prosecution, they could invest in a range of positive actions and services that help address the unique needs of younger children in the justice system, with a focus on prevention, rehabilitation, and support for positive behavior development.

Why it was rejected

The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.

The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10 years old. This means that children under 10 can’t be arrested or charged with a crime. There are other punishments that can be given to children under 10 who break the law.

You can find out more about the age of criminal responsibility here: https://www.gov.uk/age-of-criminal-responsibility

Timeline

2 Mar 2023	Petition opened for signatures
6 Mar 2023	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21

Status Rejected

Rejected 6 Mar 2023

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