I always figured that if you were old enough to do the adult crime you were old enough to do adult time.

I like the idea of training camps though. Perhaps they could go to a juvenile art institute where they learn the art of scupture by rendering large rocks into small ones.

Legal adulthood is 18 in the UK. Below that you are tried as a child. You are a child, or you are not. No fudging the issue for vengeance's sake.

T'is not a question of vengeance but of justice. How is the assault victim less beaten if his assailant is 16? To me there are crimes that should be independent of age. These being violent crimes. I would make a distinction between violent crime and "property" crime. If you are 16 and pick a pocket, yes I see a distinction between you and the professional. However, if you smack a bottle over someone's head, pick up a hammer and take your place behind rock #12.

Not to change the subject but wasn't Penfold the sidekick of Dangermouse?

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Originally Posted by E Mutz

T'is not a question of vengeance but of justice. How is the assault victim less beaten if his assailant is 16? To me there are crimes that should be independent of age. These being violent crimes. I would make a distinction between violent crime and "property" crime. If you are 16 and pick a pocket, yes I see a distinction between you and the professional. However, if you smack a bottle over someone's head, pick up a hammer and take your place behind rock #12.

Not to change the subject but wasn't Penfold the sidekick of Dangermouse?

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I also think that certain crimes should be considered as adult crimes, regardless of age (within reason). Maybe the punishment should be different for a child, but no slapped wrists aloud.

And yes, Penfold was the sidekick of Dangermouse.

Crikey, DM!

Smiley

"Perhaps they could go to a juvenile art institute where they learn the art of scupture by rendering large rocks into small ones."

*lol* yes I like this idea. It would violate our current constitution though, so at least here this is impossible for the moment. Is there a country in the first world where this would be possible?

"I would make a distinction between violent crime and "property" crime."

An interesting way. This would solve a lot of the difference between our current legal system and the opinion of the people.

As the debate here is mainly focused on foreign youths, should they be treated more harshly than citizen´s crime? The sentiment of the ordinary people would be that in addition to violating the law, foreigners are also abusing our hospitality after all.

Today a number of additional proposals have been thrown into the public debate. An interesting one would be to change immigration: If citizenship would be granted only on probation for the first ten years and those people could be denationalized upon violating the law, immigrants might start respecting the legal system much more.

Originally Posted by E Mutz

T'is not a question of vengeance but of justice. How is the assault victim less beaten if his assailant is 16? To me there are crimes that should be independent of age. These being violent crimes. I would make a distinction between violent crime and "property" crime. If you are 16 and pick a pocket, yes I see a distinction between you and the professional. However, if you smack a bottle over someone's head, pick up a hammer and take your place behind rock #12.

Not to change the subject but wasn't Penfold the sidekick of Dangermouse?

Crumbs!

Because age makes a difference. A juvenile can be reformed he is still pliable, he is not a hardened criminal.
What difference makes to the victim if his/her assailant is put away for life or reformed?
Unless you are talking vengeance here.

This question needs to consider the crime, not just the age. If a minor is given a driver's license and permitted to use the public streets, that child should pay as an adult for every crime committed using a vehicle...manslaughter, dui, public property damage, etc should be charged to the minor as if he were an adult.

If we conscript 18 year olds to defend our nation, we should let them drink and vote.

I say let's drop the age of adulthood to 18 and don't let anyone under 18 drive or vote.

bolding mine:

Originally Posted by Gunter

...

As the debate here is mainly focused on foreign youths, should they be treated more harshly than citizen´s crime? The sentiment of the ordinary people would be that in addition to violating the law, foreigners are also abusing our hospitality after all.
...

A criminal mind will operate within any country. Citizenship should have little to do with punishment unless the criminal is in your country ILLEGALLY. We have that problem here in the USA. Some 9000 people PER YEAR die at the hands of illegal aliens.

http://www.adjunct.diodon349.com/Att...terrorists.htm

Some county governments have begun to start deportation proceedings upon arrest of illegals for dui. It's making the Mexican government mad that we are sending their worthless criminals back.

Kudos to Cobb County Georgia...keep 'em goin'!

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

Because age makes a difference. A juvenile can be reformed he is still pliable, he is not a hardened criminal.
What difference makes to the victim if his/her assailant is put away for life or reformed?
Unless you are talking vengeance here.

I support reform when and where possible - and kids are the best target for that. We just punish punish punish - and they grow into hardened criminals are an even bigger liability to society.

I agree, we should do our best that young lives are not wasted for their sake and society's sake.

Happy birthday

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

I agree, we should do our best that young lives are not wasted for their sake and society's sake.

Happy birthday

Thank you.

It is OK. I just wanted to let you know that I harbour no hard feelings from our 'fights' over homosexuality

I have a relative who is gay. And he is a wonderful person. So I felt a bit guilty making fun of them. But my core premises stand.

Do you feel already older?

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

It is OK. I just wanted to let you know that I harbour no hard feelings from our 'fights' over homosexuality

I have a relative who is gay. And he is a wonderful person. So I felt a bit guilty making fun of them. But my core premises stand.

Do you feel already older?

Don't worry about it. I rarely take internet debates personally. I do this for fun.

The first birthday I remember really well is my 12th - and there are days I swear I feel no different than that day.

Originally Posted by jitobear

Don't worry about it. I rarely take internet debates personally. I do this for fun.

The first birthday I remember really well is my 12th - and there are days I swear I feel no different than that day.

We don't care how old you are...as long as you get older, and older, and older, and older.....and older...and...