The

age of majority The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the contr ...

in England is 18, having been reduced from 21 by th
Family Law Reform Act 1969
At that age persons are considered as adults and acquire the legal capacity to enter into legally binding contracts (thus to hold a credit card and take out a loan), to vote in elections, to buy tobacco and cigarettes and have a tattoo. Below that age persons are considered in law to be " infants" and colloquially to be " children" or youth. There are some things a person cannot do at age 18. For example, one must be 21 to adopt a child (unless one is the mother or father of the child).

Capacities at earlier ages

10

At the age of 10, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland a child is deemed criminally responsible and may be tried in a court of law. The age of criminal responsibility in Scotland is 8 although a child may not be prosecuted in a court until the age of 12.

11

At the age of 11 a child may open a bank current account, but only with permission from a parent. Children up to the age of 11 may be referred to a social worker and a children's hearing.

12

According to a guideline issued by the

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New Yor ...

, "children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time".

13

At the age of 13 children may work part-time.

14

At the age of 14 children may enter a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

but may not buy or consume alcoholic drinks.

16

Minors are issued with a National Insurance number by the government. With parental consent they may join the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and get married (not required in Scotland for marriage), and drink wine, beer or cider with a meal in a restaurant. Without parental permission they may work in full-time employment, engage in sexual intercourse, obtain a licence to drive a low-powered motorcycle and open a bank account. The NSPCC suggests 16 as the minimum age for

babysitting Babysitting is temporarily caring for a child. Babysitting can be a paid job for all ages; however, it is best known as a temporary activity for early teenagers who are not yet eligible for employment in the general economy. It provides auton ...

17

At the age of 17 a minor may apply for a driving licence to drive a car.

History

During the medieval era and the era of

feudalism Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

, in England the age of majority for males was 21 and for females 14 if married and 16 if single.Sue Sheridan Walker, ''Proof of Age in Feudal Heirs in Medieval England'', published in ''Mediaeval Studies'', Vol.34, 1973, p.307; quoted in Charles Robert Young, ''The Making of the Neville Family in England, 1166-1400'', p.44, note

/ref> The attainment of such an age was usually referred to as being "of full age". Thus

wardship In law, a ward is a minor or incapacitated adult placed under the protection of a legal guardian or government entity, such as a court. Such a person may be referenced as a "ward of the court". Overview The wardship jurisdiction is an ancient ...

for males ended at the age of 21, on the obtaining by the ward of a "

proof of age An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen ca ...

" writ, issued after a Proof of age inquisition had obtained evidence from a jury of witnesses. Until that time a ward could be forced to marry a person of the warder's choosing, often his own child, and the resultant progeny would inherit the property formerly subject to the wardship at their father's death, usually regulated by the

marriage settlement A marriage settlement in England was a historic arrangement whereby, most commonly and in its simplest form, a trust of land or other assets was established jointly by the parents of a bride and bridegroom. The trustees were established as legal o ...

References

Majority (England) Legal fictions Adulthood