Lowering the Age of Maturity to 16, as proposed by Gérald Darmanin
Fighting for Lowering the Criminal Age: A persistent quest
Gerald Darmanin, France's Minister of Justice, is undeterred by the defeat of the Attal youth justice bill at the Constitutional Council. He is convinced he's found a solution to push the reform through. The crux of the matter? Lowering the criminal age from 18 to 16 in France, thereby allowing for stricter measures to be implemented.
The Attal bill, initially proposed by the former Prime Minister, faced strong criticism and was rejected on several grounds. One of the significant issues contested was the abolishment of the "minority exemption" principle, which ensures minors receive lighter penalties than adults. However, the new law asserts that the attenuation of penalties for minors aged 16 or older, in repeated cases punishable by at least five years in prison, would no longer be standard, but exceptional. The judge would then have to justify the reduced penalty.
Despite the Constitutional Council's objection to the abolishment of the "minority exemption" principle, Darmanin believes this change in the criminal age is the key to implementing tougher measures. In an interview on RMC, he expressed, "The Constitutional Council said we can't take measures [without changing the Constitution] since the criminal age is 18. But if we lower the criminal age to 16, we'll be able to implement these firm measures."
The current debate surrounding youth justice and child protection is more vigorous than ever in France. Several new measures have been enacted, such as strict online protections, increased scrutiny of minors' social media usage, and enhanced responses to organized crime and prison security. Furthermore, the European Union is moving towards harmonizing protections for children under law, with a focus on criminalizing various offenses pertaining to children.
Any proposal to lower the criminal age would significantly impact the youth justice system. Younger offenders may encounter adult criminal procedures or harsher penalties, which could contradict recent trends emphasizing child protection and tailored interventions for minors. On the flip side, such a change could address concerns over a rise in youth violence and serious crimes committed by minors, prompting stricter accountability to discourage such behavior.
In essence, though no explicitly detailed legislative text lowers the criminal age threshold, the year 2025 sees compelling debate and activity around youth justice reform, with a strong focus on child protection, online safety, and responses to juvenile delinquency. Any proposed change to the criminal age would have far-reaching implications for the youth justice system, shaping both the preventive and punitive aspects of the system. This move aligns with a broader European trend towards harmonizing protections and responses to crimes involving minors.
- Gerald Darmanin, France's Minister of Justice, remains undeterred by the rejection of the Attal youth justice bill and is convinced that lowering the criminal age from 18 to 16 could help enforce stricter measures, indicating a shift in policy-and-legislation within the realm of politics related to general-news and crime-and-justice.
- As the debate over youth justice and child protection continues in France, the proposal to lower the criminal age has emerged as a prominent topic in the discourse on policy-and-legislation, with implications for the youth justice system pertaining to the European Union's efforts to harmonize protections for children under law, particularly concerning crime-and-justice matters.
