Civil law. Age qualification

A person can participate in referendums, elections or hold a specific position only after reaching a certain age. Restriction may apply to other areas of activity. One way or another, it is called the "age qualification". The limitation is determined at the legislative level. Let us examine this concept in more detail, we will find out what it means.

general information

Today, to express the right to vote (active) in many countries of the world, including Russia, a person must reach 18 years of age. However, some states have raised this border to 21 years, and others, on the contrary, have reduced to 16 years. Age restrictions for the expression of passive suffrage have a wider spread. For example, in Colombia only citizens who have reached the age of 30 can vote in the elections of the head of state, and in Italy, residents can not express their will after 50 years. In some countries, age limits for entering a certain position have not only a lower but also an upper limit. In particular, in Kazakhstan, Gabon and Russia (until 1993), the candidate for the post of head of state should be younger than 65 years. In addition, under such restrictions candidates for ministers or judges fall.

Restrictions of the Criminal Code

The legislation of Russia provides for several age thresholds that have a significant impact on the composition of the crime. This means that the relevant criminal liability for an offense is established. In addition, the age of the accused and the victim is of considerable importance. To be clearer, let's look at an example. The Law currently has an age limit, Relating to the sexual freedom of the individual, as well as sexual inviolability. In the criminal code of the Russian Federation until 2009, there were three thresholds - 14, 16 and 18 years. On their basis four main age groups are formed:

- until reaching the age of 14 - "obvious helplessness."

- up to sixteen years - the period of sexual untouchability.

- after the age of 16 years - the age of consent.

- after eighteen years of age - legal capacity.

The age of majority

The legal capacity (majority) is the basic age threshold that gives the citizen all the duties and rights established by law. As an accused for committing crimes against sexual untouchability, only a person who has achieved legal capacity, that is, 18 years of age, can act. From which it follows that the age limit for Responsibility for committing any unlawful acts of a sexual nature begins at the age of 18. However, in 2009 another penalty was added to the criminal code - 12 years - in order to strengthen the responsibility for committing unlawful acts against minors. It can not be said that this restriction defines an age group. He only specifies the framework within which violent acts of a sexual nature will be punished with extreme severity.

Expression of one's own will

The overwhelming majority of the world's countries equate the age limit to the achievement of a particular age by a person. For example, citizens who have reached the age of 18 are eligible to vote in the United States, Russia, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Finland and Switzerland. But in countries such as Cuba, Brazil and Iran, this age has been reduced to 16 years. In Japan, the framework, on the contrary, is increased to 20 liters. The age limit for the President of the Russian Federation for nominating his candidature is 35 years. You can run for the State Duma from the age of 21. Most often, the age threshold does not have the maximum limit for obtaining the opportunity to express its suffrage. At least in Russia, the establishment of such a restriction is prohibited.