Minor (law)
A minor is a person under the age of majority.
Last updated
The age of majority commonly falls between 18 and 21, but it varies by jurisdiction and application.[1] An individual who has not yet reached the age of majority is legally considered a minor, a status that distinguishes them from adults.[1] The legal definition of a minor is often imprecise across different legal systems.[2]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Law
- Common age of majority
- 18 in many countries
- Notable variations
- Thailand: 20
- South Korea: 19
- Canada: 18 or 19 by province
- Related legal ages
- Drinking
- smoking
- gambling
- voting
- driving
- marriage
- criminal responsibility
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
In Canada, the age of majority is 18 in six provinces and 19 in seven provinces and territories.[3] The U.S. Supreme Court case Roper v. Simmons in 2005 discontinued the death penalty for those who committed a crime under 18.[4][5] Although New Zealand sets the age of majority at 20, many adult rights are granted to individuals at younger ages.[6]
What the cited sources add
The LII Legal Information Institute states that emancipation is a mechanism through which eligible minors are granted some or all adult rights and statuses.[7] All U.S. states have laws dealing with emancipation, specifying when children become independent of their parents for legal purposes.[7] No fixed age of emancipation exists, but a minor is presumed emancipated upon reaching the age of majority.[7] Courts review evidence and grant emancipation when it is in the minor's best interest, considering factors like the minor's age and the parents' ability to provide support.[7]
Implied emancipation can arise from parental conduct such as desertion, abandonment, or non-support.[7] Marriage or military enlistment by a minor can also bring about implied emancipation.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Minor (law)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Liquor Control Act", State of Connecticut; "Offenses Against the Family", State of Tennessee (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Minor (law)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sbeglia, "Parental Legal Culpability in Youth Offending", Annual Review of Criminology, 2024, p. 403–416 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Minor (law)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Age of Majority Table" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Minor (law)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gaines, Larry K and Roger Leroy Miller. "Criminal Justice in Action" 4th ed., Thompson Wadsworth Publishing, 2007. Pg 495 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Minor (law)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Roper v. Simmons (No. 03-633)", LII / Legal Information Institute (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Minor (law)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Age of Majority Act 1970" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Staff, "Emancipation of Minors", LII / Legal Information Institute, 6 August 2007. facts only, no text reused. law.cornell.edu
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Minor (law) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Minor (law) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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