Written questions

Age of Criminal Responsibility

Commons · Question 13985 · Tabled 29 Jun 2026 · Ministry of Justice · Official record

Answered 9 Jul 2026

Question

Asked by Nick Timothy

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years old following the Bar Council's recommendation.

Answer

Answered by Jake Richards, 9 Jul 2026

I am grateful to the Bar Council for their work on this important and complex issue and will consider their findings carefully.We currently have no plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years old. We have been clear that any future decis...