1. Your Rights and Responsibilities

2. Lesson Objectives 2 By the end of this lesson you will be able to …
Your Rights & Responsibilities
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to …
Explain at what age young people have a variety of legal rights and responsibilities.
Identify ways in which various laws affect your life. 2
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3. At what age can you 3 Buy cigarettes Your Rights & Responsibilities 18
It is illegal to sell cigarettes, e-cigarettes/e-liquid, tobacco or cigarette papers to anyone under the age of 18. Since 1 July 2007 smoking had been banned in all enclosed public places in England including pubs, bars, restaurants and workplaces. 3
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4. At what age can you 4 Drive a car on a public road
Your Rights & Responsibilities
At what age can you
Drive a car on a public road 17
In order to drive in the UK you must hold a valid driving licence. You can apply for a provisional driving license when you are 15 and 9 months. However, you cannot legally drive a car until you are 17. You can drive a moped at 16. 4
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5. At what age can you 5 Drink alcohol in a pub
Your Rights & Responsibilities
At what age can you
Drink alcohol in a pub 16
In the UK it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. Under the licensing act 2003 under 16’s can enter a pub as long as they are accompanied by someone over the age of 18. At 16 you are allowed to drink beer, cider or wine as long as you are eating a meal and it is purchased by someone 18 or over. 5
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6. At what age can you 6 Vote in an election
Your Rights & Responsibilities
At what age can you
Vote in an election 18
In England, Ireland and Wales you must be 18 to vote in local and general elections. 6
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7. At what age can you 8 Get a tattoo Your Rights & Responsibilities 18
The Tattooing of Minors Act 1969 makes it illegal for anyone to tattoo you if you are under the age of 18 8
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8. At what age can you 8 Get a job Your Rights & Responsibilities 13
There are certain areas of work that are exempt from this e.g. television, theatre and modelling. 
There are a number of restrictions in place on when and where children under the age of 16 can work. For example they cannot work before 7am or after 7pm. Local bylaws also set restrictions for the type of work children can do, these can vary from one area of the country to the next. 8
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9. At what age can you 9 Serve on a jury Your Rights & Responsibilities18
In order to serve on a jury in the UK you must be aged 9
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10. At what age can you 10 Have sex Your Rights & Responsibilities 16
Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 you must be 16 years of age before you can legally agree to have sex. This is true whether you are male, female, heterosexual or homosexual. 10
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11. At what age can you 11 Be convicted of a criminal offence
Your Rights & Responsibilities
At what age can you
Be convicted of a criminal offence 10
The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10 years old. This means that children under 10 can’t be arrested or charged with a crime. Children under the age of 10 who commit crime can be given a Local Child Curfew or a Child Safety Order. In Scotland the age of criminal responsibility is 8 and the age at which a child can be prosecuted is 12. 11
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12. At what age can you 9 Join the armed forces
Your Rights & Responsibilities
At what age can you
Join the armed forces 16
In order to enlist in the armed forces you must be 16 years of age.
If you are under 18 you will need parental consent. 9
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13. Plenary 13 Your Rights & Responsibilities
Q: What surprised you most about what we discussed today?
Q: Are there any laws that you particularly agree or disagree with?
Q: How do the laws we discussed impact your life? 13
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