Megan Smith-Dobric
Megan Smith-Dobric is a DPhil Candidate in Law at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. Her research examines the minimum age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales, focusing on its compatibility with children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- What is the title of your research, and what is it about?
My research is entitled The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in England and Wales: A Critical Analysis from the Perspective of Articles 2, 6 and 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
My research examines whether the minimum age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales, which is currently ten years old and is extremely low by European and international standards, is compatible with children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). In particular, I focus on children’s rights to non-discrimination, life, survival and development, and protection from violence, abuse and neglect, as set out in Articles 2, 6 and 19 of the UNCRC.
- Who is your supervisor?
I am supervised by the brilliant Professor Jonathan Herring.
- How did you come up with your research topic?
This is an issue that has been at the forefront of my mind since I was around sixteen, when I decided to undertake my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) on the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales. At the time, I remember being astounded by the fact that a child as young as ten could be held criminally responsible in our jurisdiction, and I wanted to understand more about how we had reached this point.
It was during my master’s degree at Oxford, whilst studying a module specifically on children’s rights, that I began to consider whether this policy could also be reconciled with the rights and protections afforded to children under international law.
- Why did you choose Oxford to undertake research in Criminal Law?
I chose Oxford because I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) programme and found the teaching to be of an exceptionally high standard, within a supportive environment in which to develop academically.
During the BCL, I also discovered that Oxford was a particularly active environment for those wishing to research children’s rights, with academics working on a wide variety of projects in this area. For example, Dr Naomi Lott delivered a seminar on the child’s right to play during one of my modules. This was a fascinating area of children’s rights that I had never previously considered, and it highlighted the breadth of research taking place at Oxford.
- How do you hope your research will contribute to law and society?
Ultimately, I would very much like to see the UK Government raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least fourteen, in line with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s recommendation.
More broadly, I hope my research will contribute to the ongoing debate about the age of criminal responsibility by encouraging greater consideration of children’s rights, needs and experiences, both in England and Wales and internationally.