Rule of sevens

For other uses, see Rule of seven.

The rule of sevens, in English common law, establishes three age brackets for determining a young person's capacity to be responsible for torts and crimes. Children under the age of seven cannot be held to have capacity, while there is a rebuttable presumption that a minor aged 7 to 14 lacks capacity; for those aged 14 to 21, there is a rebuttable presumption of capacity.^[1] The rule of sevens is also used in determining capacity to give informed assent to participate in clinical trials.^{[citation needed]}

Examples

Tennessee applies this rule by rebuttably presuming that any minor aged 7–13 is not mature enough to consent to medical procedures, while minors aged 14 and older are.^[2]

North Carolina applies this rule to the civil liability of children in automobile accidents. Under that state's law, if someone is found to be acting negligently, any injury from a resulting accident cannot be compensated for. When applied to children and automobile accidents, any child under the age of seven cannot be negligent regardless of their actions; it is presumed that children between the ages of seven and thirteen are not negligent unless their actions are deemed to be unreasonable for someone of that age; and anyone between the ages of fourteen and seventeen is held to the same standard as adults unless evidence is entered that contradicts that presumption.^[3]