High Court: It Is High Time to Lower the Upper Age Limit for 'Children' to 16

 

The Kerala High Court has observed that it is long overdue for legislative bodies to consider lowering the upper age limit for 'children'—as defined under child rights laws—from 18 to 16 years. Justice A. Badharudeen stated that contemporary trends indicate that individuals reach sufficient mental maturity by the age of 16.

The Court made this significant observation while considering a petition related to an incident in Nedumbassery, where a 19-year-old, driving a luxury car while intoxicated, caused an accident that resulted in three deaths. The Court pointed out that although current laws classify anyone under the age of 18 as a 'child,' individuals in this age group are frequently involved in serious road accidents.