The government has implemented a measure to revise the age of criminal responsibility, setting it at 12 years old. The Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, made the announcement at a press conference organized by the designated task force charged with combating bullying towards children.
Minister Ihusaan underscored that the key challenge in addressing juvenile delinquency lies in the age threshold for criminal responsibility outline in the Juvenile Justice Act, which currently stands at 15 years old. This highlights that approximately 200 juveniles have already been identified as being or exposed to crime, with the majority aged between 12 and 13 years.
Moreover, the minister also expressed his belief that the criminal responsibility age should be set at 12 years old in the Maldives, despite the differences in countries.
Furthermore, during the press conference, Attorney General (AG) Uz Ahmed Usham asserted that obstacles in obtaining court orders will be addressed as part of the modifications being implemented to the existing laws and regulations. He further revealed that although the law mandates a court order in cases of transferring a juvenile to a detention centre, no specific court has been designated for this purpose.
Additionally, AG Ahmed Usham emphasized that no measures have previously been taken to address these issues, highlighting the failure to amend the laws accordingly. He disclosed that the present administration is currently making efforts to amend the current laws in place, emphasizing its forth coming presentation to the parliament.