Legal eagles are warning a state not to depart from a long-standing presumption that children younger than 14 are "incapable of evil", despite youth crime conviction rates tumbling.

A NSW review of doli incapax was released on Saturday after it was launched by the state Labor government in May amid a national debate about youth crime.

Latin for incapable of evil, doli incapax is a legal presumption that children between the ages of 10 and 14 do not sufficiently understand the difference between right and wrong to be held criminally responsible.

The common law principle can be rebutted if the prosecution proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the child knew their actions were seriously wrong as opposed to merely naughty.

Led by former Supreme Court judge Geoffrey Bellew and retired NSW

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