China lowers age of criminal responsibility to 12 from 14

Move comes as part of wider amendment to criminal law, which includes tougher penalties for stock market fraud and intellectual property rights violations

Children aged 12 to 14 will bear criminal responsibility if they commit intentional homicide, intentionally hurt another person so as to cause death, or severely injure others by resorting to especially cruel means, revision says

Reading Time:2 minutes

China has lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 12. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 2:44pm, 27 Dec 2020Updated: 10:44pm, 27 Dec 2020

China has lowered the age of criminal responsibility to 12 from 14 in an apparent response to a rise in the proportion of juvenile crime being committed by younger children.

According to the amendment to the criminal law, which was passed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Saturday, those aged between 12 and 14, will bear criminal responsibility if they “commit intentional homicide, intentionally hurt another person so as to cause death, or severely injure others by resorting to especially cruel means”.

The amendment will take effect on March 1 and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate will be responsible for deciding if a case is worth prosecuting, according to a statement from the NPC.

“This is a small adjustment with careful considerations, strict restrictions and preconditions,” Wang Aili, an expert in criminal law with the legal affairs committee of the NPC, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

“It insists on the principle of prioritising juvenile correction education, and also considers the feelings of crime victims and the society.”

According to state media reports, people aged under 14 accounted for 20 per cent of all juvenile crimes in 2017, up from 12.3 per cent in 2009.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x