Overview
- At what age does a child become a competent adult? How old must someone be for their freedom to no longer be restricted by the fiduciary responsibilities of their parents or guardians? This is one of many grey areas for which there is no objective “right” answer. Instead, we must use the concept of reasonableness.
- Most countries around the world set the age between 16 and 21 years old, which we could take as the reasonable range.
- Some countries set national laws a lower end of the range, such as at 14. However, it may be reasonable to require “close-in-age” rules which prevent anyone older than 17 from having a sexual relationship with a 14 or 15-year-old. Power imbalance clauses may also be reasonably implemented to prevent the abuse of authority (e.g., in teacher-student or employer-employee relationships).
- Example: An adult of 30 years old engaging in sexual activity with a 10-year-old is a breach of the Legal Principle. This is a breach even if the adult and the 10-year old, and even the 10-year old’s parents, consented to that sexual activity. This is because the Live and Let Live Movement does not consider it reasonable to treat a 10-year old as a competent adult, no matter what rules a local community decides upon.