Juveniles in Afghanistan have three different stages in age in which they are dealt with. First stage is the non-discerning child who has yet to make it to the age of seven; the discerning child who is between the ages of the completed age of seven and has not completed the age of twelve; and the last stage is juvenile, which is a child who has completed the age of twelve but has not completed the age of eighteen. The children who are a part of the juvenile stage of completed age 12 but not completed age eighteen are the only ones who are criminally responsible. The Juvenile Code was adopted on February 14, 2005, and this code was a key step in reforming the legal system and provides a framework for the protection of the rights of children
