Ages of medico-legal importance (MLI)

• 2 weeks: i.e. newborn
• MLI: Crime of infanticide if infant is below this age.
• Identification:
  
• 6 years (age of admission to school)
• MLI: Compulsory education starts at 6 years of age.
• Identification:
• Eruption of first permanent molar tooth.
• Union of pubic and ischeal rami.
• Ossific centre of the upper end of the radius.
• 7 years (age of discrimination):
• MLI: Child is criminally irresponsible and cannot discriminate below this age.
• Identification:

• Eruption of central permanent incisor.

• Ossific centre at lower end of radius reaches 2/3 the breadth of the epiphysis.
  
• 14 years:
• MLI: Below this age the male is considered that he can not commit the crime of rape.
• Identification:
• Union of trochlea and capitulum
• Signs of puberty in males:
  
• Appearance of pubic and axillary hair and moustache and development of testes and penis.
• Signs of puberty in females:

• Remodelling of hip and shoulder.

• Enlargement of breast.

• Start at menstrual cycle .

• Pubic hair start to appear and become thicker and longer.

• Later 13-15 year axillary's hair will appear.
• 15 years:
• MLI: The child under 15 years is partially criminally responsible
• N.B.: Between ages of 15 and 18 years:
• - No capital sentence.
• - No imprisonment for life.
• - The period of imprisonment should not be more than 18 years.
• Identification :

• Union of capitulum and trochlea with shaft.

• Complete union of the Y-shaped suture in hip bone
• 16 years:
• MLI:

• Legal marriage for females.

• Age of having identity card.

• Age of eligibility of having license of motor cycle driving.

• Identification :
• In males

• Fusion of lateral epicondyle of humerus with shaft in males.
• Fusion of upper end of ulna in males
• In females

• Head of femur with shaft .
• Lower end of tibia with shaft.
• Epiphysis of metacarpals and phalanges with shafts.
• 18 years
• MLI:

• Legal marriage for males.

• Age of consent in cases of rape for females.

• Age of eligibility of having license of driving motor cars.

• Age of first call for military service.

• Age of employment in government.

• Age of voting in elections

• Age of full criminal responsibility(below this age the child is tried in front of juvenile courts )
• Identification :
• In males

• Union of epiphyses of metacarpals and phalanges with shaft (in male).

• Head of femur with shaft (in male).

• Lower end of tibia with shaft (in male
• In females :

• Head of humerus with shaft (in female).

• Lower end of radius with shaft (in female).
  

• 21 years:
• Identification :
• In males

• Lower end of femur with shaft,

• Upper end of tibia and fibula with shaft,
• Epiphysis of ischial tuberosity with ischium.
• In females

• Epiphysis of iliac crest with ilium,

• Medial end of clavicle with shaft

• Basiocciput with basisphenoid in females..
• 30 years
• Identification:

• Closure of saggital suture

• The medullary cavity of humerus reaches the surgical neck (in male).In female it approaches the anatomical neck .
• 40 years:
• Identification :Union of xiphoid process with the body of sternum .
• 60 years:
• MLl: Age of retirement.
• Identification: Union of manubrium with body of the sternum.

Category: Forensic Medicine Notes