| Minor (law) |
Article Index for Minor |
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Examples of special protection/restrictions for minors include Statutory Rape laws, prohibitions against the use of alcohol/cigarettes, school attendance requirements, the need for adult co-signers on legal documents (e.g. Contract s), Driver's License requirements, separate punishment and trial (e.g. Juvenile Court s), Child Labor laws, Curfew laws, prohibitions against voting, and various other protections against exploitation and abuse. Increased restrictions and protections are justified by an assumption of a diminished mental capacity of young people. Some jurisdictions allow juvenile emancipation, where a minor who can prove that they are competent may take on some rights that are normally reserved for legal adults. Not all such minor restrictions are necessarily tied to the same transitional age, but the transition from minor to adult is typically defined by the age at which one may independently enter into contracts. By the end of the 20th Century most countries have allowed all these transitions to occur by the age of 18, but some countries allow some adult rights at the age of 16, and others delay them until the age of 21. However, this is a question of debate due to the questionability of the youth's decision-making capabilities, and thus is not consistent throughout the world. People who use the word "minor", particularly in speech, should be aware that in some circumstances some people in the general population may mishear or even misread the word as " Miner ". SEE ALSO
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