Law for Children
Welcome
The law is very important to everyone. Laws are rules that keep order in our community and they affect all of us, not just adults. Laws are part of our everyday lives, ensuring that food is safe for us to eat, clothes are fit to wear and that cars are safe for us to travel in. The law involves everybody however young or old you are.
We are all citizens, and as such, we all have a duty to behave in a law-abiding way, to respect ourselves, our neighbours and their property.
The law is there to protect you and to ensure that we can all live safely and harmoniously together but, remember, laws impose duties on us as well as giving us rights.
The law has a huge amount to say about the rights and responsibilities of those under 18. At 7 you can take money out of your own bank account. At 8 you can be charged with a crime. At 12 the law assumes you are old enough to have a solicitor. At 16, you have full legal capacity in Scotland. You can marry and get a full-time job. That means that you make your own decisions, although there are still certain things you cannot do, such as give blood (you have to 17), or buy cigarettes or alcohol (you have to be 18). There are also some restrictions on the type of work that you can do.
This part of the website tells you what young people's rights and obligations are under Scots law. When you live in Scotland, Scots law applies to you. You can find out how the law affects you in any number of situations ranging from the less serious matters such as operating a bank account to more serious matters such as what to do if you are a victim of crime, if you see a crime being committed or if you have been accused of a crime. Look at the menu on the right-hand side of this page for more information on a wide variety of topics.
