New Child Law maintains legal age of children at 16
The National Assembly passed the Child Law on April 5 morning with an 89.88% approval rate.
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The new law has 7 chapters and 106 articles, stipulating children’s rights and duties, principles and measures to ensure the enforcement of children’s rights, the responsibilities of State agencies, organisations, educational establishment, families and individuals to exercise children’s rights and duties.
Before voting on the draft law, the NA Standing Committee presented its report on the acquisition of NA deputies’ opinions on the draft. The report said the majority of opinions agreed to change the name of the law to the Child Law.
Regarding the difference in opinions about the legal age of children, a poll conducted in the NA showed 340 out of 397 respondents, or 85.64% of the respondents and 69.25% of NA deputies, supported putting the age at 16, while just 50 out of 397 respondents thought the age should be 18.
Therefore, the NA Standing Committee retained the stipulation defining a child as one under the age of 16 in the Child Law.
Meanwhile, the scope of children with special backgrounds stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 10 has been expanded to cover children from poor or near-poor families suffering from fatal diseases or diseases requiring long-term treatment (Point n Clause 1) and migrant children, refugee children whose parents are not known or who have no one to take care of them (Point o Clause 1).
The new Child Law will take effect on June 1, 2017, replacing the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education No. 25/2004/QH11.
