| School-leaving age |
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56. Under the terms of the Education Act
(LGBl. 1972 No. 7), general compulsory schooling begins
between the sixth and seventh birthday and lasts nine years,
while in exceptional cases earlier school attendance may also be authorized. The Education Act prescribes five
years of primary school and four years of secondary school. In special
cases the School Board can, on the unanimous application
of the parents, the class teacher, the school doctor and the
school psychologist, release the child from attending the ninth year of school. |
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| Minimum age of employment |
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57. Under the terms of Liechtenstein’s
Employment Act (LGBl. 1967 No. 6), employees of both sexes
until they attain the age of 19, and apprentices until they
attain the age of 20, are regarded as adolescents. Before the
age of 14, adolescents may not be employed. In the case of
adolescents aged over 14 and not attending school, exceptions
may be authorized subject to specific requirements. Under the
terms of Ordinance I to Liechtenstein’s Employment Act (LGBl.
1968 No. 15), adolescents aged over 13 may be employed during
school time for a maximum of nine hours a week as messengers
or on light work.
58. Apart from the forms of employment
prohibited for all adolescents (in particular employment which
entails a substantial risk of fire, explosion, accident,
illness or toxicity), the Ordinance in addition prohibits
adolescents under the age of 16 from engaging in various forms
of dangerous or burdensome employment. Moreover, for the
purpose of protection of juveniles there are prohibitions on
the employment of adolescents who have not attained the age of
16 in film production, circus and theatrical companies, and of
adolescents who have not attained the age of 18 in serving
customers in hotels, bars, restaurants and places of
entertainment.
243. […] Liechtenstein’s Labour Act specifies
the minimum age for admission to employment as the fifteenth
birthday. For running errands and light work of short
duration, exceptions are possible for adolescents aged over 13. The exceptions are subject
to authorization. In individual cases, regular employment of adolescents
who have left school can also be authorized, once they have attained
their fourteenth birthday. To this end, a medical certificate is required
stating that there is no impediment to the intended employment of
the adolescent on grounds of illness, frailty or developmental defects. The Labour
Act also contains special protective provisions for adolescent employees in
industry and trade with respect to daily and weekly working
hours and rest time, as well as
overtime and work at night and on Sundays.
Thus, adolescents may not be employed in overtime work until
they have attained their sixteenth birthday. Adolescents may
not be employed at night and on Sundays. Exceptions may be
authorized in the interests of occupational vocational
education.
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| Minimum age for marriage |
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60. Liechtenstein’s Marriage Age (LGBl. 1974
No. 20) establishes the legal age of marriage. In order to
contract marriage, the bridegroom must have attained the age
of 20 and the bride the age of 18. In exceptional cases, the
courts can, however, with the permission of the legal
guardian, declare a bride or bridegroom ready for marriage. If
the legal guardian refuses permission without valid reason,
the court can grant it at the request of one of the
couple.
61. In order to eliminate
the unequal treatment of women and men with respect to the legal
age of marriage, the Government has submitted to the Landtag
an application for revision of the Marriage
Act. |
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| Minimum age for criminal responsibility |
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231. In Liechtenstein, persons under the age of 14 are not
competent to stand trial, and may not be held accountable
before the criminal courts for their actions. Criminal
offences by persons who have reached the age of 14 but not yet the age of 18 fall
under the provisions of the Juvenile Court Act. Persons
who have attained the age of 18 but not yet the age of
20 are regarded under civil law as minors, but are
nevertheless competent to stand trial. Under
the terms of the Penal Code, their minority is
taken into account as a special mitigating
circumstance. |
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