The Age of Reason or the Reasons for an Age? The Age of Criminal Responsibility

Citation

Sutherland EE (2002) The Age of Reason or the Reasons for an Age? The Age of Criminal Responsibility. Scots Law Times, (1), pp. 1-5.

Abstract
In Scotland, as elsewhere, there is concern over children and young people offending and how the legal system should respond. Much of the concern is fuelled by sensational media reporting of serious or persistent offenders, with little distinction being drawn between what is happening here as opposed to events abroad. Recent years have seen the amassing of a considerable body of domestic research on the subject and the Scottish Executive has given different aspects of juvenile offending to different organisations for examination. So, for example persistent, older offenders were considered by the Advisory Group on Youth Crime, while the age of criminal responsibility was referred to the Scottish Law Commission.

Keywords
Age; Children; Criminal liability; Criminal procedure; Doli incapax; Scotland

Journal
Scots Law Times, Issue 1

People

Professor Elaine Sutherland

Emeritus Professor, Law