Gradual criminal responsibility of girls

Criminal responsibility age has always been a controversial issue in criminal law. One of such controversies is graduality or suddenness of criminal responsibility. According to most Shiite jurisprudents, criminal responsibility age in Islamic penal law is based on religious maturity age, i.e. 9 for girls and 15 for boys. Now, a number of questions arise here: Is founding the basis of criminal responsibility age on religious maturity correct? Is the age of religious maturity a religious matter or a natural one? Is it gradual or does it happen suddenly? This paper studies the criminal responsibility age of the girls from different aspects, evaluates the existing related laws, suggests that this age is gradual and varies according to girl's rational growth.