The age of majority in British Columbia is 19. This is the age at which someone grows up legally and can do things like choice. However, there are some things young people can do before they grow up legally. If your dependant (a child for whom you are legally responsible as a parent or guardian) is of legal age, you are no longer required by law to take care of them financially. This also applies if they married or left home before reaching the age of 18. You`re probably already familiar with the opposite term “minor,” which is often used as another word for children. Legally, the term “minor” indicates that a person is still “the age of minority” and is legally responsible only for the minority of his or her actions. Parents or guardians are responsible for the majority of their children`s actions. Youth in British Columbia have the right to participate in certain activities in different age groups. The following table provides a brief overview of the rights of young people and older persons. The age of majority is the age at which a person is legally considered an adult and, in Canada, is generally determined by the province of residence. However, age 18 is the age of majority for attribution rules relating to transfers or gifts to a minor child related under the federal Income Tax Act.
The age of majority can be confused with the similar concept of bachelor`s age[1], which also refers to the threshold of adulthood, but in a much broader and abstract way. As a legal term in art, “license” means “permission” and may imply a legally enforceable right or privilege. So a licensing age is an age at which you have legal permission from the government to do something. The age of majority, on the other hand, is the legal recognition that you have grown up. [2] The age of majority refers exclusively to the acquisition of legal control over the person, decisions and actions, and the corresponding cessation of the legal authority of the parents (or guardians instead of the parents) over the person and affairs of the child in general. The legal age is the age at which you are allowed to engage in a certain activity or take on a certain responsibility. It is independent of the age of majority. For example, the legal age to be licensed in Ontario is 16, while you must be 19 to buy alcohol or cannabis. The age of majority is the age at which you are legally considered an adult. The age of majority is different in other provinces, but in Ontario it is 18. If you are of legal age, you can choose and have access to new rights and services, but some activities may be of a different age.
If you are a parent or guardian, you are no longer legally responsible for your child when he or she reaches the age of majority. This can affect your obligations to provide for children. Many bachelor`s age correlates with the age of majority, but they are still legally different concepts. You do not need to be of legal age to be authorized to exercise certain rights and obligations. Some bachelor`s degree ages are actually higher than the age of majority. For example, to purchase alcoholic beverages, the licensing age is 21 in all U.S. states. Another example is the voting age, which was 21 before the 1970s in the United States, as well as the age of majority in all or most states. [3] In the Republic of Ireland, the age of majority is 18, but you must be over 21 to stand for election to the Houses of the Oireachta.
[4] Also in Portugal, the age of majority is 18, but you must be at least 25 to run for public office and 35 to run for president. [5] A child legally emancipated by a competent court automatically reaches maturity as soon as the court order is signed. Only emancipation confers the status of maturity before a person is really of age. The word “majority” means that the law holds adults responsible for the majority of their actions. Not all of them, of course. Some actions, such as getting sick or dying, are beyond anyone`s control. But by the time you reach the age of majority, you`re old enough to be held legally responsible for most of your actions. On the other hand, some people who are over the legal age do not reach the age of majority because of intellectual disabilities and other problems.
In this section, you will learn about age-related legal rights for the following activities: The age of majority is the age at which a child becomes legally an adult.
