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In law, the term minor (also infant or infancy) is used to refer to a person who is under the age in which one legally assumes adulthood and is legally granted rights afforded to adults in society. For the 2008 British film by Noel Clarke see Adulthood (film. Depending on the jurisdiction and application, this age may vary, but is usually marked at either 18 or 21. Specifically, the status of "minor" is defined by the age of majority. The age of majority is the threshold of Adulthood as it is conceptualized (and recognized or declared in Law.
In many countries, including Brazil, Croatia, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, a minor is presently defined as a person under the age of 18. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island In the United States, where the age of majority is set by the individual states, 'minor' usually refers to someone under the age of 18, but can be used in certain areas to define someone under the age of 21. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The age of majority is the threshold of Adulthood as it is conceptualized (and recognized or declared in Law.
In the criminal justice system in some places, the term "minor" is not entirely synonymous, as a minor may be tried for a crime (and punished) as a juvenile or an adult (usually only for extremely serious crimes such as murder). Criminal justice is the system of practices and organizations used by national and local governments directed at maintaining Social control, deterring In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment
Usage
The terms "infant", "child", "adolescent", "teen", "youth", "juvenile" and "young person" are also used, although some jurisdictions make a legal distinction between these terms. CHILD syndrome (or congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) is a genetic disorder Youth is the period from infancy or childhood to maturity Usage Around the world the terms "youth" " Adolescent " "teenager" and Minor status carries with it special restrictions, penalties and protections that do not apply to adults. All member states of the United Nations except the United States and Somalia have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, often referred to as CRC or UNCRC, is an international convention setting out the civil political
Examples of restrictions imposed on minors include statutory rape laws, prohibitions against the use of alcohol and cigarettes, compulsory school attendance, the need for adult co-signers on legal documents (e. The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe consensual Sexual relations that take place when an individual (regardless of gender has sexual In Chemistry, an alcohol is any Organic compound in which a Hydroxyl group ( - O[[hydrogen H]]) is bound to a Carbon A cigarette ( French "small Cigar " from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through Smoking and manufactured g. contracts), driver's license requirements, separate punishment and trial (e. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a g. juvenile courts), child labor laws, curfew laws, prohibitions against viewing certain age restricted films and prohibitions against voting. A juvenile court or young offender court is a court of law having special authority to try and pass judgments for Crimes committed by children or adolescents Child labor is the employment of Children at regular and sustained labour A curfew can be one of the following An order by a Government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time These laws are meant to protect minors from themselves, but severely restrict a minor's freedom.
Restrictions imposed on minors are typically justified by an assumption of diminished mental capacity. Some jurisdictions allow juvenile emancipation, whereby a minor who can demonstrate competency may take on some rights that are normally reserved for adults. Emancipation of minors is a legal mechanism by which a child is freed from control by their parent(s/guardian(s and the parent(s/guardian(s is/are freed from any and all responsibility
Not all age-based restrictions are necessarily tied to the same transitional age. The transition from minor to adult, however, is typically defined by the age at which one may independently enter into contracts.
At the end of the 20th century most countries outside of Asia allowed most or all age-based transitions to occur by the age of 18. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The propriety of age-based restrictions and selection of a transition age for each remains open to debate due to continued questions about age-specific decision-making capabilities.
The word "minor" is seen as offensive by many Youth Rights organisations such as NYRA because it relates to young people as though they are of lesser importance than adults. The National Youth Rights Association, or NYRA is the largest Youth rights group in the United States, with several thousand members For example, comparing a 17 year old with a 2 year old.
Australia
In Australia, there are several gradations of responsibility before full legal adulthood. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Those under age ten are free of all criminal responsibility under the doli incapax doctrine of UK legal tradition. A conclusive presumption (also known as an irrebuttable presumption) in English law is a Presumption of law that cannot be rebutted by evidence The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Those under the age of fourteen are presumed incapable of responsibility, but this can be disputed in court. The age of full legal responsibility is 18 except Queensland where it is 17. The age of majority in all states and territories is 18.
The age of majority is 18 for most purposes including sitting on a jury, voting, standing as a candidate, marriage, hiring R-rated films or seeing them in a theater, buying/viewing pornography and purchasing alcohol and tobacco products. Hardcore pornography is a form of Pornography that features explicit sexual acts. A cigarette ( French "small Cigar " from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through Smoking and manufactured A person under 18 is defined as a minor or a child.
Canada
United States
In the United States as of 1995, minor is legally defined as a person under eighteen. Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA is a Canadian statute which came into effect on April 1 2003 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 However, not all minors are considered "juveniles" in terms of criminal responsibility. As is frequently the case in the United States, the laws vary widely by state.
In eleven states, including Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas, a "juvenile" is legally defined as a person under seventeen. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. In three states, Connecticut, New York, and North Carolina, "juvenile" refers to a person under sixteen. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States [1] In other states a juvenile is legally defined as a person under eighteen.
Under this distinction, those considered juveniles are usually tried in juvenile court, and they may be afforded other special protections. A juvenile court or young offender court is a court of law having special authority to try and pass judgments for Crimes committed by children or adolescents For example, in some states a parent or guardian must be present during police questioning, or their names may be kept confidential when they are accused of a crime. For many crimes (especially more violent crimes), the age at which a minor may be tried as an adult is variable below the age of 18 or (less often) below 16 [Gaines, Larry K and Roger Leroy Miller. "Criminal Justice in Action" 4th ed. , Thompson Wadsworth Publishing, 2007. Pg 495]. For example, in Kentucky, the lowest age a juvenile may be tried as an adult, no matter how heinous the crime, is 14.
In most states, juveniles cannot be housed with adult inmates, even if the child is charged as an adult. This is also discouraged by the federal government, which proffers funding only if children and adults are housed in separate facilities. This leads to a lot of subsidiary questions such as whether a juvenile now past their eighteenth birthday can be sentenced to adult jail for a conviction based on behavior that happened before that birthday. As with the adult system, the juvenile justice system has become more and more punitive over time, despite a juvenile's lack of right to a jury in juvenile court, often lower brain development (because of their youth), and evidence that incarceration and even probation lead to a higher incidence of reoffending for juveniles than non-punitive consequences.
The death penalty in the U. S. for those that committed a crime while under the age of 18 was discontinued by the U. S. Supreme Court Case Roper v. Simmons in 2005. The court's 5-4 decision was written by Justice Kennedy and joined by Justices Ginsburg, Stevens, Breyer, and Souter, and cited international law, as well as child developmental science and many other factors in reaching its conclusion.
The age of consent for sexual activity is often lower than the age of majority, frequently using a graduated scale based on the difference in age between the participants. While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal Statutes when used with in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at There is an absolute minimum age, however, varying from state to state, below which a minor may not consent. The lowest age for a legal marriage also varies by state.
The twenty-sixth amendment to the U. S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, granted all citizens 18 years of age or older the right to vote in every state, in every election.
The US Department of Defense took the position that they would not consider the "enemy combatants" they held in extrajudicial detention in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps to be minors unless they were less than sixteen years old. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government The term enemy combatant has historically referred to members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war Extrajudicial punishment is Punishment by the state or some other official authority without the permission of a Court or legal authority The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo In the event they only separated three of the more than a dozen detainees who were under 16 from the adult prison population. And all the several dozen detainees who were between sixteen and eighteen years of age were detained with the adult prison population. Now those under 18 are kept separate in line with the age of majority and world expectations.
Some states, including Florida, have passed laws allowing one who commits an extremely heinous crime, such as murder, to be tried as an adult, regardless of age. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries These laws, however, have faced the challenges of the ACLU
United Kingdom
- Further information: Law of England and Wales, Law of Northern Ireland, and Law of Scotland
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a minor is a person under the age of 18; in Scotland, under the age of 16. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of Common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the Northern Ireland law concerns the Legal system of Northern Ireland. Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 10; and 8 in Scotland. The defense of infancy is a form of defense known as an Excuse so that Defendants falling within the definition of an "infant" are excluded
In England and Wales, cases of minors breaking the law are often dealt with by the Youth Offending Team. A young offender is a person of either Gender who has been Convicted or Cautioned for a Criminal offence. In England and Wales a Youth Offending Team is a multi-agency team that is coordinated by a local authority which is overseen by the Youth Justice Board If they are incarcerated, they will be sent to a youth detention center. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of
The age of majority is 18 for most purposes including sitting on a jury, voting, standing as a candidate, marriage, hiring films with an 18 certificate or seeing them in a theater, buying/viewing and modelling for pornography and purchasing alcohol, tobacco products and fireworks. The 18 certificate is issued by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC to state that in its opinion a film or video recording should not be seen or purchased
See also
- Age of consent
- Age of criminal responsibility
- Age of majority
- Boy
- Girl
- Disseminating pornography to a minor
- Marriageable age
- Voting age
- Youth rights
- Ephebiphobia
- Adultism
External links
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal Statutes when used with in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at The defense of infancy is a form of defense known as an Excuse so that Defendants falling within the definition of an "infant" are excluded The age of majority is the threshold of Adulthood as it is conceptualized (and recognized or declared in Law. BOY is a Canadian Indie pop band The band consists of vocalist and general instrumentalist Stephen Kozmeniuk, drummer Maurie Kaufmann, A girl is any Female Human from birth through Childhood and Adolescence to attainment of Adulthood The term may also be used to mean Marriageable age (or marriage age) is the age at which a person is allowed to marry, either as of right or subject to parental or other forms of consent A voting age is a minimum age established by Law that a person must attain in order to be eligible to Vote in a Public Election. Youth rights refers to a set of philosophies intended to enhance Civil rights for young people. The irrational fear of Youth is called ephebiphobia. First coined as the "fear and loathing of teenagers" today the Phenomenon is recognized Adultism is a predisposition towards Adults, which some see as biased against children youth and all young people who aren't addressed or viewed as adultsDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic