A Bill to raise the age of criminal responsibility.
House of Lords
8 November 2019
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This bill would raise the minimum age at which someone can be held criminally responsible. If enacted, younger children would not be charged in the same way as older youths or adults and could be treated under different welfare-based rules. The proposal is currently being debated in the Lords, having originated there.
The bill is at the Lords stage, specifically the 2nd reading. Its first reading in the Lords occurred on 23 October 2019, and it has yet to progress to later stages as shown here.
Generated 21 February 2026
23 Oct 2019
First reading took place on 23 October. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.
Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.
The 2017-19 Parliament dissolved at the end of the 2019 Session and this Bill will make no further progress.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
