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. Scots law is very different from English law in lots of areas - get the correct info here from the Law Society of Scotland! 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 and you have a right to see a doctor on your own. 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.
This 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. It also gives you information on a wide variety of topics. Look on the menu on the left-hand side of this page. Here are some important things about your legal rights:
Did you know that:
· You can see a doctor without your parents being informed;
· You can have your own solicitor and the government will usually pay the bill;
· If your parents split up and the court is deciding what is to happen, you must be asked what you think if you are 12 or over;
· If the police interview you, you only need to give your name and address;
· You can change your name once you are 16
