Essay On The Age Of Criminal Responsibility

Introduction:

If there is anything which has always existed, it is crime. Crime has existed for centuries and it is something we can never avoid. But the most important and concerning question is, does the fact that someone of a certain age affect their responsibility for an offence committed and are they liable for punishment? Or should there be a certain age limit where a person could be held responsible for a crime that someone commits? If we look at the different criminal justice systems around the world, most countries have laws or regulations stating the “age of criminal responsibility” (Maher. G). However, there has been no clear international standard identified regarding the age at which criminal responsibility could be reasonably charged for a juvenile offender. The Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) appeals parties to establish ‘a minimum age below which children shall be

Criminal responsibility is referred to a person’s capability to understand his or her behavior at the time a crime is committed. In other words it is what a person was thinking when he or she commits a crime, or what result he or she was expecting when they commits a crime (Study.com). MACR is the age that a child has attained the emotional, mental and intellectual maturity to be held responsible for their actions. A child under the age of criminal responsibility does not have the ability to be guilty of committing a crime. Therefore, any child under the age of criminal responsibility cannot be prosecuted or punished. However, the age of criminal responsibility set by different countries differs around the world. Some countries like United States of America’s North Caroline sets their MACR as six years of age while, countries like Brazil and Uruguay sets their MACR as eighteen years of age