Australia's minimum age of criminal responsibility is generally 10 years old, meaning children under 10 cannot be charged with a crime, but the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is raising its age to 14 by July 2025, with exceptions for very serious offenses, and other states are considering or implementing changes to raise the age to 12 or 14. Between 10 and 14, the doli incapax principle applies, requiring the prosecution to prove the child knew their actions were seriously wrong.
On 22 November 2023, the minimum age of criminal responsibility was raised to 12 years, and on 1 July 2025, the minimum age of criminal responsibility will be further raised to 14 years, with a small number of exceptions for very serious and harmful offences.
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. But for certain things, the legal age can be younger.
The maximum penalty the Children's Court can impose for any one offence is two years in detention, and, for more than one offence, three years in detention. Any sentence of detention will be in a Juvenile Justice centre – the Children's Court cannot send a young offender to prison.
Age of criminality
There are other punishments that can be given to children under 10 who break the law. Children between 10 and 17 can be arrested and taken to court if they commit a crime.
There is no minimum age for criminal responsibility. Children below age 14 can only face incarceration if they are proven to have enough discernment between right and wrong. Incarceration starting at age 14. Other measures applied for ages 12–13.
The convictions in a Youth criminal record will not be erased automatically even if the offender turns 18. Offences in a Youth record will enter the person's adult records once they become legal adults.
In the United States, a minor is any individual under the specified “age of majority” for their state or territory., All states define an age of majority, which is usually set at 18, but states like Indiana and Mississippi set it at 21, while in Alabama, Colorado, Maryland, or Nebraska, the age of majority is 19.
Vegemite is banned in some Australian prisons, particularly Victoria's, because inmates used its yeast to brew alcohol and smear it on drugs to confuse narcotics dogs, despite the yeast being inactive. While prisoners argue it's a cultural right and essential for wellbeing, officials cite security concerns over potential homebrew and drug interference, leading to bans under "Contraband" policies, notes The New York Times.
Queensland (QLD) Age Gap
Once a person is 16 or over, they can legally consent to sexual activity with any adult, provided the relationship is not one of care, trust, or authority.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a teenager is defined as a person between the ages of 13 and 19. Turning 13 marks the chronological start of the phase between childhood and adulthood.
What Can You Do at 18 Legally?
A "juvenile" is a person who has not attained his eighteenth birthday, and "juvenile delinquency" is the violation of a law of the United States committed by a person prior to his eighteenth birthday which would have been a crime if committed by an adult.
Yes, in Australia, a 16-year-old is legally considered a child (a minor) for most purposes, as the age of majority is 18, aligning with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; however, they gain significant responsibilities and can do things like drive (learner's permit) and work, but face different legal processes in criminal matters than adults.
Age of criminal responsibility. The age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 10-years-old (Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1998). The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is 12-years-old (Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019).
17-year-olds will seem more emotionally mature as they: Move toward a more adult sense of themselves and their purpose. Cope better with new problems and different situations than they did at younger ages (called fluid intelligence and emotional regulation).
Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19. It is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundations of good health. Adolescents experience rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth.
You are criminally responsible at age 10. This means that if you commit an offence from this age, you can be charged and, depending on the seriousness, you can get a sentence of detention. Juvenile detention in Western Australia is served at Banksia Hill Detention Centre in Canning Vale.
In general, it can range from 3 to 10 years. Serious offences, such as sexual or violent crimes, may never be spent. Rules regarding spent convictions vary slightly between Australian states and territories, and different rules apply for state and federal offences.
At 16
Boys aged 18 – 20 may be sent to a YOI (or an adult prison). Young adult males will be moved to an adult prison when they turn 21. Girls aged 18 and over will be sent to an adult prison.
This means that although the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 14 years, legislated exceptions mean children aged 12 and 13 years can be charged with several serious offences.
In the state of California, minors can be tried as adults for serious crimes if they are 16 or 17 if the juvenile court judge allows it. In 2000, for example, California voters approved Proposition 21, which empowered prosecutors to charge juveniles aged 14 to 18 as adults for certain violent offenses.