AT WHAT AGE CAN I...?
Detailed and extensive
information on the minimum legal age for a variety of life's
activities including leaving school, getting
married, voting etc.
LEAVE
SCHOOL - 16yrs
However
you must have reached 16 on or before the 1st of July in the
year you want to leave, otherwise you’ll have to wait
until the following year. So if for example you want to leave school
but won’t be 16 until November, then you have to wait until
the end of the next school year., ie the follow June before you
can leave. The only leaving date is 30th June
GET A FULL TIME JOB
- 16yrs
If you have left school. However there are some restrictions on
where you can work. For example, you cannot work in a betting shop.
GET A PART-TIME JOB
- 13yrs
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If and when you
do look for work, it must be in a job that is not harmful
to your life, education or health, or which involves street
trading.
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you must be at least 13 years
old.
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Under the legislation known
as the Children (NI) Order 1995, you cannot work for longer
than two hours on a school day.
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Neither should you work before
7am or after 7pm on any day, whether it is a school day or
not, or before the close of school hours on any day on which
you should be at school.
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On a Saturday if you are over
15, you can work for up to 7 hours.
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If you are between 13 and 15
you can work for up to 5 hours.
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GET
MARRIED - 18 yrs without
your parents’ consent
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can
get married but the consent of both your parents is required
if they have parental responsibility for you.
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If
you are the subject of a care order then the consent of
the local Trust must also be given in addition to your
parents.
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If
you are a Ward of Court the consent of the court is required.
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In
any case if consent to your marriage is refused by your
parents or the local authority, you can make an application
to the court.
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SMOKE
- BUY CIGARETTES OR TOBACCO - 16 yrs
If
you are under 16 and are found smoking in public, your tobacco
and cigarette papers can be seized by a uniformed police officer.
LEAVE
HOME - 18yrs
18
years without your parent or guardian’s
consent, in which case you can leave at 16
If you want to leave home between 16 and 18 you should check
the legal position with the Children’s Law Centre.
CONSENT TO, OR REFUSE TO HAVE SURGICAL, DENTAL OR MEDICAL TREATMENT
- 16 YEARS
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Young people under
16 are generally required to get parental consent for any
medical, surgical or dental treatment including psychiatric
treatment.
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If a report is required in relation
to you for family court/care proceedings and you are under
16 the permission of the court must be given before you are
examined.
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A young person under 16 can
consent to or refuse medical treatment in certain circumstances
as long as he/she fully understands
the implications.
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If you refuse medical treatment,
the matter could go to court and the court could overturn
your refusal it if is thought that
treatment was in your best interests.
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GET A CAR/MOTORCYCLE LICENCE - 17 YEARS
GET A NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER - 17 YEARS
Once you reach the age of 16 years, you should automatically receive
a national insurance number. If you do not you can apply for this
through your local social Security Office. Remember to bring identification
with you such as a birth certificate or passport. Your National
Insurance Number can then be used in the future to calculate what
tax you are liable to pay, what benefits you may be entitled to,
etc. Therefore if your circumstances change for example, you have
a baby or get married, you should notify the tax office about these
changes.
OPEN
A BANK ACCOUNT IN MY OWN NAME - 7yrs
BE
OFFERED A JOBSKILLS PLACEMENT - 16yrs
BUY
ALCOHOL - 18yrs
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You can buy and
drink alcohol in a pub at 18 years of age.
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If you are under 18 you can
go into a pub until 9pm accompanied by an adult if the establishment
has a children’s certificate, but you cannot drink
or buy alcohol.
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VOTE IN ELECTIONS
- 18yrs
Every year between August and September, forms are sent out to
each household to be filled in by a householder who is over 18.
On this form the names of all members of the household who are
16 and a half, and over, should be included. A representative will
call to collect this form. A draft register is drawn up in November.
Notices are put in the paper suggesting people go to their local
post office to check the register to make sure their name is on
it. If it is not, you can phone the electoral office and ask for
a claim form to be sent out. You then have to attend a hearing,
bring proof of who you are and explain why your name is not on
the draft register. These hearings are usually held once a month
FIND
OUT INFORMATION ABOUT MY NATURAL PARENTS IF I’M ADOPTED
- 18yrs
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If you are under
18 you have no legal right to know the identity of your
birth parents. If you are under 18
and intending to marry,
you may ask the Registrar General if your fiance is within the ‘prohibited
degrees of relationship for the purposes of marriage’ ie
that your fiance is not related to you.
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Once you reach 18 you can apply
to the Registrar General for access to the original record
of your birth. If you were adopted
before the 18th December 1987, you must see a counsellor before
you can obtain information from your original birth record. The
reason for this is because in the years before 1987 some birth
parents and adopters may have been led to believe that the children
being adopted would never be able to find out their original names
or the names of their birth parents.
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If you were adopted after 17th
December 1987, you may chose whether you would like to see
a counsellor before you are given the information which will
lead you to your birth record
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You may be interested to know
that the Registrar General also maintains at the General
Registrar Office an Adoption Contact Register, the purpose
of which is to put persons adopted in N Ireland and their
relatives in touch with each other if this is their stated
wish. There is a fee involved in doing this. |
PLACE A BET - 18yrs
The age for football pool betting is 16. If you are under 18 you
may not gamble in public betting shops, gaming clubs or bingo halls,
but you may take part in prize ( but not cash) amusement and slot
machines, amusement arcades and cafes
BUY
A LOTTERY TICKET -16 yrs
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