How much do you know about young people and the law? Take our 12 question quiz to find out.
#1. What is the age of Criminal responsibility in England and Wales? This is the age at which you can be arrested if you commit a crime, because you are deemed old enough to know right from wrong.
In England and Wales the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old, from this age you can be arrested and taken to a criminal court. In Scotland the rules are different, you can be arrested from the age of 8, but only children aged 12 and over may be prosecuted in court.
#2. If you commit a crime under the age of ten there are no consequences.
If you commit a crime and you are under the age of 10, you cannot be charged with a crime but there may still be consequences. These may include being banned from public places between certain hours, being put under the supervision of a youth offending team or being taken into care. Alternatively your parents can be held responsible.
#3. In England a Police Officer or Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) can stop and question you at any time.
The Police can stop and question you at any time but you do not have to answer. If they have no reason to suspect you this cannot be used as a reason to search or arrest you.
#4. In England a Police Officer can stop and search you at any time.
Normally a Police Officer can only stop and search you if they have reasonable grounds (a good reason) to suspect you are carrying something you shouldn’t be such as drugs, a weapon or stolen items. An officer does not need to be in uniform to do this, but they should show you their warrant card. Sometimes you may hear the term Section 60 order. This order means that in a defined place, for a set period of time the Police can stop and search people in this area without reasonable grounds because they suspect that serious violence might take place or has taken place.
#5. If you are stopped and searched what must the police tell you?
For a stop and search to be legal a police officer must give you all of the above information. Being searched does not automatically mean you are in trouble and it does not mean you are being arrested. An officer may ask you to remove outer clothes such as a jacket or a hat. If they think a more thorough search is needed, this must be conducted out of public view and by someone who is the same sex as you. If an officer asks you to remove something you wear for religious reasons this must be out of public view.
#6. If you are arrested for a petty crime how long can you be held at a police station before you must be charged with a crime or released?
After 24 hours the police must either charge you with a crime or release you. If you are suspected of a serious crime the police may apply to hold you for 36 or 96 hours, or up to 14 days if you were arrested under suspicion of Terrorism.
#7. When in custody what do you have the right to do?
If you are under 18 an appropriate adult will be called to sit with you when you are interviewed. If you have any religious needs or dietary requirements let the officers know so they can help you. You can ask for a shower or exercise while you are held in custody.
#8. If you are held in custody you have to answer questions when interviewed.
You do not have to answer the police officers questions when you are interviewed but it could have an affect later if you go to court. The police must tell you this by reading the caution “You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”
#9. A PCSO has the power to remove alcohol from you and get rid of it, if they have reason to believe you are under 18 or have been supplying alcohol to under 18s.
PCSOs have a fixed range of powers and some may also have additional, discretionary powers. While they cannot arrest you, they can require you to surrender alcohol and/or drugs (and dispose of them) and some have the power to detain you for up to 30 minutes. They can also require you to surrender tobacco if you are under 16.
#10. Calling someone names, posting hurtful comments/lies about them on social media or excluding people from social media groups is not the same as doing it to their face and nothing can be done about it.
All of the above count as bullying and cyberbullying is just as damaging to a person as it is in real life. There are laws to protect people from online and offline harassment and comments, photos or messages can be used as evidence. You should tell a trusted adult if you get any messages, photos or attachments that make you feel upset or threatened.
#11. One of your friends has told you that they are going to attack Person A. You go with them and do not try to stop them or tell anyone, could you also be charged with attacking Person A?
Under Joint Enterprise if your knowledge, presence or actions lead to a serious crime, you can also be charged for that crime. In the worst case this means you can potentially be charged and sentenced with murder even if you weren’t the one who killed somebody. You must think carefully about the people you are friends with and the choices you make.
#12. Only over 18s can report crimes
You can report a crime at any age either by ringing 999 if you can see or hear something happening right away or by talking to the police another time. If you do not feel comfortable going to a police station there are a number of different ways you can report crime, such as talking to a trusted adult or by reporting through a third party website such as www.fearless.org.
