Argentina lowers age of criminal responsibility to 14
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Argentina’s Law 27.801 recently came into effect, establishing a new Juvenile Criminal System and replacing a previous system that had been in place for over forty years. The law applies to adolescents from fourteen to eighteen years old who commit crimes defined by the Penal Code or special criminal laws, judging them based on their age at the time of the offense.
The reform prioritises education, resocialization, and social integration for adolescent offenders, while also ensuring they receive constitutional rights and guarantees throughout the legal process. Rather than solely relying on imprisonment, the new system allows the state to respond with warnings, restrictions on contact or locations, community service, electronic monitoring, and other alternatives tailored to the adolescent and the crime.
The law also details specific rules for deprivation of liberty, prohibiting life sentences and capping sentences at fifteen years, even if the crime would typically carry a longer penalty. Adolescents serving sentences will be housed separately from adults and receive education, training, and support for reintegration into society. The law encourages provinces and Buenos Aires to update their own legal procedures to align with the new national standards.
Implementing the new system requires appropriate judicial structures, specialized facilities, trained personnel, and coordination between government agencies. The National Executive Branch will oversee implementation, with a dedicated budget allocation and provisions for collaboration between the national government, provinces, and Buenos Aires.
