ABSTRACT
European Court of Human Rights: Pursuant to section 50 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (‘the 1933 Act’) as amended by section 16(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963, the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is ten years, below which no child can be found guilty of a criminal offence. The age of ten was endorsed by the Home Affairs Select Committee (composed of Members of Parliament) in October 1993 (Juvenile Offenders, Sixth Report of the Session 1992-93, Her Majesty’s Stationary Office) ... The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules) ... were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 29 November 1985. These Rules are not binding in international law ... They provide, as relevant:
4.1 In those legal systems recognising the concept of the age of criminal responsibility for juveniles, the beginning of that age shall not be fixed at too low an age level, bearing in mind the facts of emotional, mental and intellectual maturity.
