National And International Regulations Concerning The Age Of Criminal Responsibility

The prevention and fight against juvenile delinquency constitutes a permanent preoccupation of the countries through their criminal policy. This issue is also supported by a series of factors such as the lack of social experience of the minor, deficiencies in the educational process developed in the family or at school, the negative influence of certain adults who encourage the minors to commit offences, etc. In the combat against offences committed by minors, it is taken into consideration that during the period of forming and developing their character, the minors do not have the same discernment like majors and they are much more receptive to the influences exerted upon them. Being closely connected to the age, the existence or the non-existence of discernment represent the main differentiation of the categories of minors who are or are not subject to criminal responsibility. That is why, the preoccupation of the legislators was directed towards the determination of the age when minors can understand and abide the consequences of the committed criminal offences. Starting from the manner in which national legislation settled the age of criminal responsibility, we shall notice, comparatively, the different values of this age in the legislation of some European countries.