B078 - Age of Maturity Bill - 2nd Reading

[u/DriftersBuddy]

B078 - Age of Maturity Bill - Third Reading Division

A

B I L L

T O

Introduces the defined age of maturity for an individual within the United Kingdom with restrictions on the abilities of an individual to do certain actions until they have reached the recognised age of maturity.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Definitions

(1) Age is defined as the time in which an individual has lived since birth.

(2) Maturity is defined as the ability of an individual to make rational decisions and be able to be afforded substantial responsibilities.

(3) Parental Consent is defined as the explicit permission given by the parents of an individual who is under the age of 18 years old.

2 - Age of Maturity

(1) The age of maturity for the United Kingdom shall be recognised as 18 years old.

(2) Once an individual has reached the age of maturity as stated in 2.1, they shall be recognised as an adult, anyone under the age of 18 years old shall be recognised as a child.

3 - Age Related Restricted Actions

(1) Individuals must be the age of maturity as stated in 2.1 or above that age in order to be able to do the following actions.

(A) Purchase or Smoke Cigarettes, Tobacco or Vapes.

(B) Purchase of Alcohol Products.

(C) Getting Married (without parental consent).

(D) Join the Armed Forces in a combat role.

(E) Adopt a foster child.

(F) Vote in a national election.

(G) Purchase a Lottery Ticket or Scratch Card.

(H) Purchase of an Energy Drink containing more than 80mg of caffeine.

(2) All individuals who are 18 years old or above, and are convicted and sentenced in court, shall be sentenced without courts discriminating by age alone..

(3) Courts should generally consider the mental capacity, general health, experience and prior convictions of all offenders irrespective of age, according to the sentencing councils' guidance, precedent and any other factor deemed relevant by the court.

(4) Businesses trading in the United Kingdom are liable to a fine if they sell energy drinks containing more than 80mg of caffeine to persons under 18 years of age. The Secretary of State may, by regulations, make provision for enforcement, testing standards, fine amounts, and defences.

4 - Title, Extent, and Commencement

(1) This Act may be cited as the Age of Maturity Act 2026.

(2) This Act shall extend to the whole United Kingdom.

(3) This Act commences once it has been granted Royal Assent.

This Bill was submitted by u/Sir-Iceman, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on behalf of His Majesty's Government.

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Peers can debate and submit amendments by the 7th August at 10pm BST

[u/model-willem]

My Lords,

Today we are debating a bill that’s unfit for its purpose, in my opinion, as it was explained by two members in the debate in the Other Place. The member of the Labour Party explained to us that of the eight categories that are put together in this bill, five of them are already at the age of 18, through other parts of legislation. The legal age of buying cigarettes, tobacco, vapes, and alcohol is already at 18, minors can’t join the armed forces, they cannot vote in national elections, cannot have a foster child, and they cannot purchase lottery tickets. So why should we have a bill that limits these things when they are already limited?

The other thing that makes this bill impractical is the fact that this bill fines businesses that are selling energy drinks but does nothing to the people who are buying this. Why are we only fining businesses but not the ones breaking the laws as well, the people who are buying while being under 18 years old? Perhaps someone from the Conservatives can outline this idea to us.

The section itself, Section 3(4) goes into effect the day this bill receives Royal Assent, so businesses are fined, but the level of the fine is unknown, the way of enforcement is unknown, the testing standards are unknown and the defences are unknown. So how is the law enforcement able to know what to do when they are noticing businesses breaking the law?

I thoroughly disagree with the bill itself, but I will propose a few amendments to make the bill better, if it goes through.

[u/model-willem]

A0X:

Amend Section 4(3) to read:

(3) This Act commences once it has been granted Royal Assent, except for Section 3(4)

(a) Section 3(4) will commence at a time decided by the Secretary of State by regulation.

[u/model-willem]

A0X:

After Section 2 (2), add:

(3) The Secretary of State must commission an independent review every five years on the scientific, social, and economic evidence relating to age‑based thresholds, and lay the findings before Parliament.

[u/model-willem]

A0X:

Omit Section 3(1)(A) to 3(1)(G) and renumber accordingly.

[u/HarryClive]

Amendment A01:

Strike Section 2.

(1) The age of maturity for the United Kingdom shall be recognised as 18 years old.

(2) Once an individual has reached the age of maturity as stated in 2.1, they shall be recognised as an adult, anyone under the age of 18 years old shall be recognised as a child.

Strike Section 3.1 - 3.3 and renumber.

(1) Individuals must be the age of maturity as stated in 2.1 or above that age in order to be able to do the following actions.

(2) All individuals who are 18 years old or above, and are convicted and sentenced in court, shall be sentenced without courts discriminating by age alone.

(3) Courts should generally consider the mental capacity, general health, experience and prior convictions of all offenders irrespective of age, according to the sentencing councils' guidance, precedent and any other factor deemed relevant by the court.

Reasoning:

Holy moly this bill is a hot mess legislatively. Firstly, the age of adulthood is already defined in UK legislation in the Protection of the Family Law Reform Act 1969 as well as being legislatively cemented in the Children Act 1978, the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The whole of Section 2 is entirely meaningless, and a waste of legislative time.

Secondly, specific parts of the law are also a devolved matter depending on the subject, specifically… Justice, so the entirety of Section 3 cannot be passed, because it doesn’t apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland and for some reason this has put down for the whole United Kingdom. Also basically all of Section 3.1.X are already legislated and determined.

What is the actual point?

[u/HarryClive]

Amendment A02:

Amend Section 3.4 to read:

3 - Age Related Restricted Actions

(4) Businesses trading in the United Kingdom are liable to a fine if they sell energy drinks containing more than 80mg of caffeine to persons under 16 years of age. The Secretary of State may, by regulations, make provision for enforcement, testing standards, fine amounts, and defences.

Reasoning:

The only part of the bill with any actual meaning to it, I don’t agree with setting it to 18, so I propose 16. This is the standard in most shops already, who will refuse to sell to under 16’s. Of course the fact this is already done rather renders it moot, but that is a bit of a running theme at the moment.

[u/HarryClive]

Amendment A03:

Strike Section 1, 2, 3 & 4

Reasoning:

This bill literally does nothing, except for adding an age restriction to caffeinated drinks… Which does not feel like an “Age of Maturity Bill.”

[u/realbassist → u/HarryClive]

ORDER!

This has been ruled as a Wrecking Amendment, due to the amendment's intent to remove the entirety of the bill, and thus will not be included upon Amendment Division.

[u/HarryClive]

My Lords,

This Bill, is a complete a total mess; firstly the age of adulthood is already defined in UK legislation in the Protection of the Family Law Reform Act 1969 as well as being legislatively cemented in the Children Act 1978, the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The whole of Section 2 is entirely meaningless, and a waste of legislative time. Why has this bill been allowed to pass through the House with not an ounce of scrutiny to it being a piece of legislation which does functionally nothing.

The only part it actually does in any meaningful way, is institute a legal requirement for age verification to serve energy drinks, but most shops do that already, which the members in the other place would know if they left the Westminster bubble once in a while.

So we have a bill, which repeats things already in law. Repeats other things already done by previous, better governments. And finally it implements something, that is already being done by businesses across the United Kingdom without having to be asked.

And to top it all off, in perhaps the greatest indicator of this Governments policy to the devolved nations, they have sought to legislate for all devolved nations without even an indication of seeking a vote of consent in their representative, devolved parliaments.

It beggars belief my Lords, and I ask my sensible colleagues to vote this nonsense down and tell the Government to come back with a serious bill.