Legislative reform is the process of evaluating current laws and implementing any necessary changes in the legal system, with the aim of improving justice or efficiency. The theme chosen to evaluate is the age of criminal responsibility. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayYoung Offenders: Age of Criminal ResponsibilityIn Australia, the age of responsibility is the age at which a child may be considered incapable of having committed a criminal offence. The age of criminal responsibility in Australia is not less than 10 years. This means that a child under the age of 10 cannot be arrested or charged with a crime. Only if the prosecution is able to demonstrate that the accused minor was able, at the time of the facts, to adequately distinguish between right and wrong, a contested trial can lead to a conviction. The Children Criminal Proceedings Act 1987 gave the NSW Children's Court its own legislative act for the first time. It aims to give magistrates and officials more independence and requires juvenile court judges to have training in social or behavioral sciences or be specifically qualified in another way that allows them to work with children and young people. In the case of "RP v Ellis and Anor 2011" we are dealing with a thirteen year old accused of intent to inflict bodily harm, which is a serious and prosecutable crime against minors. The magistrate considered that this was an evidentiary matter and committed for trial the child An article in SBS News states that determining the age at which a child can understand the difference between right and wrong can be quite difficult as many people have differing opinions of the age of criminal responsibility to 16, which leaves many people worried that this could potentially lead to gangs targeting young children. The article also talks about how children under 16 have not yet fully developed the brain to understand the reason. An article in the Sydney Morning Herald talks about how harsh punishments on young delinquents will only make things worse. The article also states that children's brains are still developing and do not allow them to fully understand right and wrong. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion To Reform the Law with Age of Criminal liability to be affective must be established when a child fully understands what he or she is doing and whether it may be right or wrong.