The rule of sevens, in
English common law
English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures.
Principal elements of English law
Although the common law has, historically, bee ...
, establishes three age brackets for determining a young person's capacity to be responsible for
tort
A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with criminal wrongs that are punishable ...
s and crimes. Children under the age of seven cannot be held to have capacity, while there is a
rebuttable presumption
In common law and civil law, a rebuttable presumption (in Latin, ''praesumptio iuris tantum'') is an assumption made by a court that is taken to be true unless someone proves otherwise. For example, a defendant in a criminal case is presumed inn ...
that a minor aged 7 to 14 lacks capacity, while for those aged 14 to 21 there is a rebuttable presumption of capacity.
The rule of sevens is also used in determining capacity to give
informed assent
The term informed assent describes the process whereby Minor (law), minors may agree to participate in clinical trials. It is similar to the process of informed consent in adults, however there remains some overlap between the terms.
Background
...
to participate in clinical trials.
References
Common law
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