Section 3(1) of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 (Tas.) defines a child as a person under 18 years of age.
About legal age in Australia
As your child grows up and becomes more independent, you might be wondering how old they need to be before they can do certain things. In Australia, you're considered to be an adult when you turn 18 years old.
Legal definition of child
The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as "every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier".
Age of majority
18.21 In the Northern Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland, children are dealt with in the adult criminal system once they turn 17. In all other States, in the ACT and under federal criminal law all children are juveniles for the purposes of the criminal law, that is until they turn 18.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) defines a child as everyone under 18 unless, "under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier".
The age of consent for sex is 16. At this age, teenagers can also marry, but only with parental consent. A 16-year-old is legally allowed to leave home without parental consent but parents remain responsible for their child's wellbeing until they are 18, so they may still require support.
In all 28 states and 8 union territories, a minor is referred to as someone under the age of 18. In rare cases minors aged 16 or 17 who are charged with extremely heinous crimes could sometimes be treated as an adult.
There is no law about what age you can leave home, but your parents generally have to look after you until you're 18. The most important thing is you have a safe place to live. If you are under 18 and there are Family Court orders about you or you are under guardianship, then the law may be different for you.
If you are 16 years old and above, you can legally have sex (or do another sexual activity) with another person who is 16 years or older as long as you both agree to it.
Legal age and becoming an adult
Across Australia, it becomes compulsory to vote at 18 years. This is also the legal age for gambling, buying cigarettes and purchasing or consuming alcohol in a licensed venue. Generally, it is against the law for a person under 18 to drink alcohol on private premises.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries.
Under the law, a child usually refers to an individual who is a minor, who is below legal age or the age of majority. The age of majority being 18 in most states. Being below the age of majority means that the child will have fewer rights but also less responsibilities than those who have attained the age of majority.
Answer: A child under six years of age is a child that is less than 72 months old.
You are now in control of your life. The law says you are an adult and you don't need your parents' permission to do anything. You can: be taken to the adult courts if you break the law.
Once you turn 16, you won't normally be forced to return home by the authorities as long as you've got a safe place to go and you can financially support yourself. If you're under 18 and leave home, the police and Child Safety may investigate the reasons why you left home.
16 and over
If you're 16 or older, you can have sex with another person who is 16 or over without breaking the law—if you both agree, and are both capable of consenting—unless you are related to them or under their care. This also applies to same-sex couples.
Age of consent laws vary considerably worldwide. Most countries require young people to be at least 14 before having sex. But there are exceptions. Angola and the Philippines both set the age of consent at 12, which is the lowest in the world.
Japan Panel Calls for Raising Minimum Age of Sexual Consent to 16. Tokyo, Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese government panel on Monday proposed raising the minimum age of sexual consent, stipulated under the criminal code, to 16 from the current 13.
In Australia, most people stay with their parents until they are at least 18 years old and your parents will remain your legal guardians until then. For more information about when you can legally leave home visit the Youth Law Australia website.
It is a very serious offence to engage in sexual activity with anyone under 16 years of age, even if you are in a relationship and they agree, as the law says that they cannot consent.
No legal age for leaving children home alone
There's no one law in Australia that says how old your child has to be before you can leave them alone.
The “age of majority” – Once your child hits a certain age (usually 18), they have reached the “age of majority.” This means, as far as the law is concerned, he or she is an adult, and information regarding their health, finances, and education will not be disclosed to anyone without their written consent.
Teenagers (15-17 years of age)
The answer to this question in international and domestic law is clear: a child is anyone under the age of 18. But it took a legal challenge and a national campaign to ensure that 17-year-olds were given the same rights as other children in the police station.