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Young Minds, Old Legal Problems: Can Neuroscience fill the Void? Young Offenders & The Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill—Promise and Perils

Wishart, Hannah/HW (2018) Young Minds, Old Legal Problems: Can Neuroscience fill the Void? Young Offenders & The Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill—Promise and Perils. Journal of Criminal Law, 82. pp. 311-320.

Item Type: Article

Abstract

From 10 years of age, the criminal law requires a person demonstrate a reasonable degree of normative competence. But what if a young person aged between 10 and 14 years does not possess such mental capacities, cannot do anything about it and is not capable of holding responsibility? Should the criminal law make allowances for him in these circumstances? I will argue that it should, because neuroscientific studies reveal young adolescents to be incapable of exercising normative competence. For evidence suggests that they are only capable of per- forming basic mental functions, for instance, self-directed reasoning and appreciating short- term consequences of their actions. In agreement is Lord Dholakia, the principal drafter of the Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill (2017–2019) since the law’s idea of what a 10-year-old is mentally capable of is at odds with the degree of maturational development obtained. As a consequence, Lord Dholakia proposes that there be an increase in the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years. Though the underlying premise to increase the threshold age is sound, numerous objections will be made, for it will be defended this proposition rests on insufficient neuroscientific evidence.

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More Information

Depositing User: Hannah Wishart

Identifiers

Item ID: 15009
URI: http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/15009

Users with ORCIDS

ORCID for Hannah/HW Wishart: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6491-8556

Catalogue record

Date Deposited: 15 Aug 2022 10:09
Last Modified: 02 May 2023 10:56

Contributors

Author: Hannah/HW Wishart ORCID iD

University Divisions

Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism > School of Law
Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism > Sunderland Law School

Subjects

Law > Criminal Law
Law

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