The Democratic Unionist Party has tabled a petition of concern to force a cross-community vote on a proposed amendment to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland. The amendment, part of the Justice Bill, would lift the minimum age from 10 to 14.

Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland proposed the change, which includes exceptions for the most serious offences: murder, manslaughter, and rape. The current age of criminal responsibility is 10 in Northern Ireland, England, and Wales. It is 12 in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.

Sinn Féin and the SDLP support the amendment, while the DUP, Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows, and the Traditional Unionist Voice oppose it. Without a petition of concern, the amendment would likely pass with majority support from those backing it.

The DUP petition is backed by its 25 MLAs, sole TUV MLA Timothy Gaston, and some UUP members. DUP leader Gavin Robinson said two additional signatures are needed to secure the cross-community vote, which requires support from a majority of unionist and nationalist MLAs present.

Speaking at Parliament Buildings on Monday, Robinson described the proposal as reckless, given recent violence on Northern Ireland’s streets. He called on MLAs to prioritise public safety and set aside party politics to block the change.