At what age is a Scot officially ‘mature’? Is it 16 or 25? – Murdo Fraser

The Scottish Government needs to provide greater clarity and consistency about the age of maturity, writes Murdo Fraser.
By Murdo Fraser
Published 4th Mar 2020, 06:00 GMT
Scottish Youth Parliament members Alice Ferguson and Catherine Mackie give evidence to MSPs about the effect of music tuition charges (Picture: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament)Scottish Youth Parliament members Alice Ferguson and Catherine Mackie give evidence to MSPs about the effect of music tuition charges (Picture: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament)
Scottish Youth Parliament members Alice Ferguson and Catherine Mackie give evidence to MSPs about the effect of music tuition charges (Picture: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament)

Friday’s announcement from the Scottish Sentencing Council that they will consult on a new policy around jailing under-25s, because their brains are not yet fully mature, has understandably been greeted with incredulity.

The SSC has quoted research which states that imbalances in brain development explain risk-taking and emotionally driven behaviour which can lead to illegal activity. This concludes that young people have capacity for change, and accordingly greater emphasis should be placed on rehabilitation, rather than incarceration.

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Not surprisingly, there has been a substantial backlash to this proposal already from victims of crime. From my own professional experience of the criminal justice system, I know that sheriffs and judges only send young people to jail as a very last resort, and where they feel that community disposals are inappropriate. Indeed, the great advantage of prison is that it protects the public from violent and repeat offenders who present a real danger to society.

What is extraordinary about this new proposal is that it seems to fly in the face of the general direction of public policy from the Scottish Government. Already we have seen the voting age lowered from 18 to 16 (a change I support), because we deem 16 and 17-year-olds mature enough to determine the future of the country.

Currently, the Scottish Government is consulting on its proposal to allow 16-year-olds to legally change their gender. This is a hugely controversial move, not least within the SNP itself. It seems reasonable to ask how someone can be deemed mature enough at 16 to take such a significant step, when other research is saying that their brains are not fully mature for the best part of another decade?

Some clarity on these issues is required from the Scottish Government, because at present the approach is rent with contradictions.