Nazymko Yegor

Donetsk Law Institute

 

The peculiarities of minor’s criminal responsibility in France

 

One of the most important problems in the continental European countries is the peculiarities of minor’s criminal responsibility defined by legislature. The topic of the article is the analysis of peculiarities of minor’s criminal responsibility in France. The peculiarities of minor’s criminal responsibility are determined by the act – Ordonance on minor offenders’ responsibility adopted in February 2, 1945.

In general this Ordonance states the specific legal mode to minor’s responsibility which determines the presumption of the criminal irresponsibility of people not aged 18 years. But this presumption isn’t absolute: in some cases the minor can be guilty in committing a crime and accused. However, in this case the legal mode of the minor’s criminal responsibility doesn’t coincide with the mode of the adult’s responsibility. If the specified presumption is rejected the special institute of minors’ criminal responsibility comes into force. The prosecution and its principles depend on the minor’s age group. There are the following groups:

-                        the 1st one includes minors under 13. The presumption of the criminal irresponsibility is absolute for them. The measures of protection, assistance and education play the main role here.

-                        the 2nd one includes minors at age from 13 to 16. The presumption of the criminal irresponsibility is applied to them by means of corresponding educational measures.

-                        the 3rd group includes minors from 16 to 18. If the crime is committed by the representative of this category the judgments may be the following:

a)                      the release from the prosecution and the prescription of the educational measures;

b)                    the prosecution (the term of the criminal responsibility is reduced);

c)                     the prosecution on the general basis.

The system of the prosecution and release of minor from the criminal responsibility in France attracts public attention to the problem of minors’ delinquency.

 

Література

1.               Литвак О. М. Держава і злочинність: Монографія. – Атіка, 2004. – 304 с.

2.               Хавронюк М. І. Кримінальне законодавство України та інших держав континентальної Європи: порівняльний аналіз, проблеми гармонізації. Монографія. – К., Юрисконсульт, 2006. – 1048 с.