Age of Criminal Responsibility Advisory Group

Overview

The advisory group was established to assist Scottish ministers to undertake the statutory review to evaluate the operation of the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019, as well as to consider a future age of criminal responsibility. The three year review period started on the day on which section 1 of the Act comes into force, 17 December 2021 and concluded on 16 December 2024.

The advisory group provided Scottish Ministers with a report detailing the findings of the review and recommendations for any future age of criminal responsibility in Scotland. Ministers will consider the findings of the review and are required to report to the Scottish Parliament on any future recommendations for the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland by December 2025.

There has been three annual learning events to support the review of the ACR legislation.  The events allowed key partners to collaborate, reflect and highlight and consolidate the learning since commencement of the Act in December 2021.  

The first event took place in January 2023 and the aim of the event was to explore pre and post commencement reflecting on the learning and operational challenges. Read the full report of the event.

The second event took place in January 2024. The aim of this event was to focus on the learning from year 2 of commencement and to prioritise next steps for the final year of the review period of the Act. Read the full report of the event.

The final learning event took place in February 2025. The aim of the event was for delivery partners to discuss the learning from the final year of the review and to discuss what is required to support a future age of criminal responsibility.

Related groups

• Age of Criminal Responsibility Programme Board

Members

The following organisations are members of the group:

• Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise
• Action for Children
• Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice
• COSLA
• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
• Disclosure Scotland
• Includem
• CAMHS Lead Clinicians' Group
• National Youth Justice Advisory Group
• Police Scotland
• Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration
• Social Work Scotland 
• Together
• Victim Support Scotland
• Children’s Hearings Scotland
• Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service
• Clan Child Law
• Education Scotland
• Scottish Legal Aid Board
• Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland
• Child Interview Right’s Practitioner representatives

Publications