140. The General Labour Act prohibits children under 14
from working, except as apprentices / General Labour Act
of 8 December 1942.
Minimum age for marriage
142. The ages indicated in the previous report have not
been changed: 16 for males and 14 for females, though a judge
may grant exemption from the age requirement if there are
serious and justified grounds for doing so / Law 996 of 4
April 1988.
Minimum age for criminal responsibility
155. The Penal Code fixes the age of criminal
responsibility at 16. Since July of last year, juveniles who
have not reached the age of 16 - without any restriction as to
minimum age - and have committed an offence defined by the
criminal law as a misdemeanour ("delito") appear before the
juvenile judge / Law No. 1702 of 26 July 1996. who must
duly apply the socio-educational measure he considers
necessary. It should be noted that as a result of the legal
changes which have affected the Code, the juvenile judges do
not have a pre-established procedure for judging offences, so
that they apply the ordinary rules of court.
