Academic literature on the topic 'Children’s rights law'

I wasn’t born a Commissioner for Equal Opportunity. I spent my formative years as a child, and my re-educative years as a lawyer, a teacher of law, and a law reformer.As a child I swore that I would never be as insensitive to children’s needs and desires as adults were being to mine. As I became an adult I realised the seductive truth that it is much more reasonable, and pleasurable it was, to assert my assessment of children’s best interests over their own.

International law’s affirmation of everyone’s right to have rights came into being through a peacemaking process. Its deprivation continues to typify the emergent context that brings peace processes into being – and for some cohorts of the people, namely children, the process itself. The right is intuitively seductive. It resonates as self-evident: an inexorable abstraction of having rights. Yet it is also enigmatic and challenging to concretise. What is its content? What substantive rights are expressive of this right? What is their scope in peacemaking? And why is it – above for example more corporeal rights – so fundamental? Guided by these questions, the paper begins by reflecting on the right as crystallised by Hannah Arendt: it then shifts to reflecting on, first, its expression in international law and, second, its interrelations with the law of peace. In doing so, it yields legal and political opportunities for ensuring the right in peacemaking, and imagines a framework of evolving measures for bringing the right to life in the staged process. The paper concludes by arguing renewing engagement with this understated right offers a beacon for guiding responses to the complex child rights challenges yielded by peacemaking – and our interdependent and fragile twenty-first century world more generally.

This essay revisits themes touched upon in an influential debate on the nature of rights between two of the leading jurists of the past century – H. L. A. Hart and Neil MacCormick. Consideration is given to how MacCormick uses children’s rights as a basis for a critique of Hart’s version of the will theory of rights towards support of MacCormick’s version of the rival interest theory of rights. While MacCormick argues, in some respects persuasively, that children’s rights and ‘rights’ apparently grounded in the criminal law present significant challenges to Hart’s version of the will theory of rights, these challenges – including the notion that Hartian will theory, in a sense, ‘disenfranchises’ children – are shown to have less force in the light of careful reassessment. It is also maintained that MacCormick’s version of the interest theory is itself significantly challenged by difficulties, including possible conflicts of interest, inherent in practical mechanisms – such as those enabling adult representatives to act on behalf of children – which the law provides to ensure that children’s rights may be properly exercised.

Children’s rights are fundamental in a country. Children are the future generation of a country. They have rights in civil law field. The examples of such rights are the right to have family name, the right to get alimony, and the right to get inheritance from the parents. Indonesian Law Number 1 of 1974 regarding Marriage (Marriage Law) distinguishes the civil rights of legitimate and illegitimate children. In 2010, the Indonesian Constitutional Court produced a decision which became a controversial decision because it was deemed to ‘legalize’ illegitimate child to have the same rights as legitimate child. The reason behind such decision is the human rights which should apply nondiscriminative principle. Some parties disagree with the reasoning behind this decision. They consider the decision unjust and that it violates social and religious norms in giving illegitimate and legitimate children the same rights in spite of the status difference. The author will discuss children’s civil rights based on civil law, human rights, and justice principle in Indonesia.

In this article we propose the notion of living rights to highlight that children, whilst making use of notions of rights, shape what these rights are, and become, in the social world. Emphasising children’s agency in living with and through their rights facilitates empirical enquiry, and moves the vectors of the debate on what children’s rights are to the interplay between how children understand their rights and the way others translate and make use of rights claims on children’s behalf. The argument builds upon a case study in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where street children, claiming the right to safely live and work on the streets, were involved in a successful campaign against an anti-vagrancy draft law. However, the subsequent new legislation – although in line with international children’s rights standards – ignored their claims and offers little for those street children who do not want to be “rescued”.

Children’s rights research is an under-theorised field of studies. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) has gained the status of source and (“theoretical”) framework of research, policy and practice, thus making most research efforts a matter of discussing implementation. This paper wishes to advance a critical, that is, politically committed theoretical agenda for children’s rights research that is not bounded by the institutional framework (i.e. crc) but intends to freely think it. Programmatically, it delves on the following issues, that call for further research, of the like that might start filling in this theoretical void: the position of children’s rights research within the wider interdisciplinary field of childhood studies, children’s citizenship (instead of “participation”), the normative legitimacy of children’s rights/laws, children’s law as a branch of antidiscrimination law, and the necessary independence of children’s laws from children’s sciences.

Claims that genital autonomy should be considered a human right call into question medically unnecessary genital alterations, including genital cutting of both boy and girl children, the forced or coerced circumcision of adults, and surgical alterations performed on the genitals of intersex children prior to the age of consent. To date, global norms suggest only a narrow applicability of any right to genital autonomy. International organizations, states, and non-governmental organizations increasingly condemn genital cutting of girls and women but generally tolerate both the genital cutting of boys and men and the surgical alteration of the genitals of intersex children. In examining assertions that genital autonomy should be considered a human right, the article considers competing rights claims, including religious and cultural rights, parental rights, and contending perspectives on health rights. Ultimately, this article highlights the limitations of international human rights law as a tool for promoting a right to genital autonomy.

This research discusses the urgent problems of regulating children’s rights at the global level. The goal is a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the children’s rights and their normative consolidation in international law; studying the effectiveness of protection mechanisms and the development of theoretical and practical proposals directed to improving the measures taken by Kazakhstan in this direction. The methodological basis of the study forms historical and comparative legal methods, which involved the analysis of scientific works on the issues of sociology, psychology, economics and law. At the same time, research methods include logical and systematic analyzes. The primary sources of information were laws and regulations defining the development aspects of the institution responsible for protecting the rights of children. Analyzing the situation in Kazakhstan showed that there are sufficient issues to be addressed. For instance, it is necessary to ensure that all children have the right to receiving high-quality educational services such as preschool organizations. Moreover, the existing ones should be modernized, and their total number should be increased. In villages, it is necessary to establish ungraded schools according to the desire of the people. The research results can be applied in the legal education system in studying the children’s rights; as well as in professional legal and pedagogical educational institutions, in the study of subjects such as ‘Human Rights’ and ‘Children's Rights’.

Article 12 with its concern to give “due weight” to children’s views involves potential contradictions between human rights to self-determination and children’s rights. A set of conditions in Article 12 turns rights into highly qualified permissions that can transfer agency and control from children onto adults. These are further complicated by reports by the un Committee on the Rights of the Child and others that position children’s best interests against their expressed views, and by contrasting standards set by national laws and guidance. Theories about children’s rights in medical law differ from actual practice in reported cases, which are influenced by long-standing theories about childhood in philosophy and psychology that disregard realities in children’s lives. Barriers to due respect for children’s views in medical law and practice that need to be addressed are summarised.

In this article it is argued that parental responsibility offers a weak basis for the protection of children’s rights due to its emphasis on (1) responsible parents’ determinations of welfare and (2) the concomitant nature of rights to duties. Based on these two premises, courts have often either neglected children’s rights, or have subordinated them to the rights of duty-holders (parents) when deciding on matters falling within the scope of parental responsibility. Recently, a third limitation on children’s rights has been added: theapplicationof a (non-derogable) right held by the child can now be prevented following an exercise of parental responsibility in circumstances where the child’s right would otherwise apply. The argument is therefore made that parental responsibility as applied under English law erodes children’s rights, leaving little left but the rhetoric surrounding them.

Despite Senegal’s ratifications of the UN Conventions CRC and the CEDAW, a noticeable discrepancy regarding secondary school attendance due to the pupil’s sex has been recognized in enrolment and fulfilment ratios. (www.unicef.org, 2011a) The main issue to be examined in this thesis was the teacher-students’ knowledge of girls’ right to education and their attitudes concerning the difference in pupils participating in secondary schools based on the pupil’s sex and how the matter is being addressed amongst teachers. Qualitative interviews were carried out amongst teacher-students at University of Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar. We reflected upon the collected material mainly through theories of feminism and social constructivism, and moreover briefly through post-colonialism and structural functionalism, as well as in relation to previous research. We found that the respondents lacked deeper juridical knowledge concerning right to education. Overall the respondents expressed an ambiguity in their gender awareness, and their perception of girls’ education in relation to cultural traditions. The main obstacles for girls schooling were gender cultural traditions and socio-economic factors.

Doctor Legum - LLD
This thesis considers two jurisdictions, namely Malawi and South Africa, and attributes the problem to the lack of appropriate national implementation of the applicable human rights law by these states. Consequently, the study is based on the underlying assumption that one of the main ways of addressing this problem is for African states to undertake measures that comply with international standards for ensuring the appropriate national implementation of the applicable international human rights law.

The aim of this study is to highlight problems regarding the status of children in determining the granting of residence permits. Central to the study are the rules contained in the Swedish Aliens Act (2005:716) about hearing children in the course of proceedings and the child’s best interests. The rules are based on Articles 3 and 12 respectively, in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). They were introduced into the Swedish legislation in 1997, after an intense debate questioning whether Sweden was meeting its obligations under the Convention. The application in aliens matters has, however, continued to be criticized after the revision of 1997, especially in matters concerning children. In 2006 a new Aliens Act came into force, involving a shift in the handling of such matters from administrative authorities and the Government to a system where appeals are tried in administrative courts. The legislation also involves comprehensive changes concerning the material legislation. The question has been raised, however, as to whether these changes have had any vital impact concerning the general construction of the material regulation. The apparent gap between the legislator’s intentions and the application of the law raises questions about the limitations of law and how the spirit and intentions of the CRC have been implemented in the Aliens Act, and, in view of this, the limits of law. The study involves an analysis of the fundamental premises that the legislation and application rest on, the general provisions of the proceedings and the technical formulation and also the material content of these rules. There is also an analysis of the impact and function of the legislation in practical applications. The conclusion is that the legislation allows extensive scope for assessing the circumstances in each case. This is the case, particularly in matters concerning children. Nevertheless, in practical applications, children often become irrelevant; children are simply not the real focus of the laws that affect them. Key words: Children’s rights, residence permit, asylum, immigration, equality, feminist perspectives. Eva Nilsson, Juridiska institutionen, Umeå universitet, 901 87 Umeå.

Tyrimo tikslas yra aptarti vaiko teisių galimus pažeidimus ir prevenciją internetiniuose socialiniuose tinkluose. Magistro darbe analizuojamas vaiko teisių pažeidimų internetiniuose socialiniuose tinkluose prevencijos organizavimas ir įgyvendinimas gimnazijoje, siekiant išsiaiškinti esamą situaciją, kad būtų imtasi konkrečių veiksmų plano. Tyrimas buvo organizuojamas 2012 metų gruodžio 17-21 dienomis. Anketinės apklausos metodu ištirti 170 gimnazijos I ir II klasės mokiniai (iš jų 88 pirmokai ir 82 antrokai) bei 35 pedagogai ir kiti gimnazijos darbuotojai, dirbantys šioje gimnazijoje. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, jog gimnazistai suvokia internetinių socialinių tinklų grėsmes, dažnai su jomis susiduria pažeisdami savo teises. Šios grėsmės internete juos neramina, o susidūrę su jomis jie linkę apie tai niekam nepasakoti. Mokiniai jaučiasi turį pakankamai žinių ir įgūdžių bendravimui internete, gebėjimų siekiant užtikrinti saugų darbą internete. Atlikta tyrimų rezultatų analizė atskleidė šiuos vaiko teisių pažeidimų internetiniuose socialiniuose tinkluose prevencijos gimnazijoje organizavimo ypatumus: gimnazijoje vis dėlto nepakankamai vykdoma įtaigi prevencinė veikla, gimnazijos bendruomenė šviesdama mokinius apie jų saugų darbą internete apsiribojama gimnazistų paviršutinišku informavimu ir švietimu, ne visi pedagogai šviečia ir informuoja mokinius apie jų saugų darbą internete. Aktyviausiai prevenciją vykdo dalykų pedagogai, integruotų pamokų ir klasės auklėtojai organizuotų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
Research objective is to review violations of children’s rights in online social networks. In MA thesis there is being analysed the prevention management and implementation of violations of children‘s rights in gymnasium having the aim to clarify a present situation in order the efficient action plan to be created. The research was conducted 17-21 December in 2012. Using the method of questionnaire survey there were interviewed 170 gymnasium‘s first and second graders (out of them 88 first graders and 82 second graders), 35 teachers and other employees who work in this gymnasium. Research outcome showed that gymnasium students realise threats of social networks and face them violating their rights. These threats on the Internet make them feel anxious and while facing them they are tend not to talk to anybody. Students feel quite confident in having knowledge and skills to communicate on the Internet and abilities to ensure safe work online. The analysis of research findings revealed particularities of prevention management in the gymnasium concerning violations of children‘s rights in social networks: impellent prevention activity is not sufficient enough in the gymnasium; the gymnasium community educating students about their safe work online narrow to shallow spreading of information and education; not all teaching staff educate and inform students about their safe work online. The most active prevention is organised by subjects’ teachers during integrative lessons and... [to full text]

This thesis concerns the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (‘the CRC’) in Indonesia: The chasm between theory and practice. Despite the enactment of several laws and regulations aimed at protecting the rights of the child, Indonesia’s implementation of children’s rights remains very limited. The theme of this thesis is that, despite the existence of adequate written laws, a state can fail to achieve an effective implementation of human rights, as exemplified by Indonesia. This thesis will focus on the impact of the rule of law on the holistic well-being of children, a group that Indonesia has acknowledged plays ‘a strategic role’ and is in a ‘unique position [to ensure] the continued existence of the nation’. The development of the rule of law and its impact on the implementation of the CRC in Indonesia will be compared to Australia, a state where the CRC has been much better implemented. There is an inextricable link between the rule of law and human rights. The prevailing view is that the rule of law does not depend on written laws; the rule of law is more about the extra-legal aspects of a society, such as culture, socio-economic factors and political factors. In the absence of the rule of law, human rights can only be selectively implemented and enforced. The rights of the child are a global human rights issue, which is particularly pertinent to Indonesia, a nation with a poor record for implementing children’s rights. Children’s rights are well established in international law, largely due to the adoption of the CRC. The CRC has provided the greatest contribution to the field of children’s rights and will serve as the focus of this thesis. Apart from being the most universally ratified human rights convention in history, the CRC expressly recognises a range of children’s rights including civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights. More importantly, the CRC shifted the responsibility for implementing children’s rights from parents and local communities to State Parties. The CRC is thus an advanced tool for assessing the standard of children’s rights internationally and for implementing change, and will be used to compare the current status of children’s rights in Indonesia and Australia. Arguably, the issue of children’s rights is complex and the implementation of children’s rights requires a multifaceted approach. This thesis will conclude with recommendations on how Indonesia can move forward to achieve a better implementation of children’s rights.

Den mänskliga rättigheten till en rättvis rättegång utgör en grundpelare i en rättsstat och regleras i såväl artikel 6 EKMR som 2 kap. 11 § 2 st. RF. Rätten till en rättvis rättegång i enlighet med både EKMR och RF tar sikte på att en rättegång dels ska genomföras inom skälig tid, dels att rättegången ska genomföras inför en oavhängig och opartisk domstol. För att rättigheten ska uppfyllas i enlighet med EKMR och RF, föreligger vägledning samt principer utformade av Europadomstolen som måste beaktas vid bedömningen om en rättegång bedrivits rättvis eller inte. Rätten till en rättvis rättegång kan omfatta flera olika element, varav ett av elementen är tillfredsställande handläggning. För att en rättegång ska uppfylla sitt syfte, krävs att rättegången genomförs under sådana former att parterna kan följa det som sker under förfarandet. Till bedömningen om en rättvis rättegång genomförts ska dessutom målets karaktär tas i beaktandet. Detta innebär att mål som förutsätter särskild skyndsam handläggning, till exempel ungdomsmål, särskilt måste uppfylla kraven i artikel 6.1 EKMR. Då barn anses utgöra en särskilt utsatt grupp krävs det speciellt skydd i syfte att värna om deras rättigheter. I BK stadgas barns rättigheter och konventionen är tillämplig på alla individer under 18 år. De stater som ratificerat BK måste således respektera konventionen och rapportera vilka åtaganden som vidtagits för att efterleva den. Barns rättighet att komma till tals och uttrycka sina åsikter tillfaller alla barn under 18 år och innebär att såväl domstolar som andra beslutsfattande organ måste anpassas i avsikt att inkludera barnen. Det kan till exempel handla om särskilda förberedelser för barn innan en rättegång och att anamma ett barnrättsperspektiv i syfte att genomsyra verksamheterna med en förankring i BK. Inom nationell rätt föreligger ett skyndsamhetskrav i ärenden som rör unga lagöverträdare och en allmänt vedertagen princip är att tiden mellan samhällets reaktioner och den unga lagöverträdarens brott bör vara så kort som möjlig. Samhällets inställning gentemot unga lagöverträdare ska även vara konsekvent och tydlig samt ska handläggningen av pedagogiska skäl bedrivas skyndsamt. I en rapport från Brå och i en granskning från Riksrevisionen har det framgått att det förekommer svårigheter i att leva upp till det lagstadgade skyndsamhetskravet för handläggning av ungdomsärenden i 4 § LUL. Riksrevisionen fann att den totala handläggningstiden är alltför långdragen. Polisen drar ut på tiden vid förundersökningen, åklagaren tar lång tid på sig att fatta beslut i åtalsfrågan och TR överskrider tidsfristen genom långdragna mål. Utöver det redovisade, förlängs handläggningstiderna ytterligare genom att socialtjänsten tar lång tid på sig att författa sina yttranden till TR. Europakommissionen har uttalat att i de fall en ung person är brottsmisstänkt, ska denna behandlas utifrån hans eller hennes ålder och mognad. Domstolsförfarandet måste således anpassas i avsikt att trygga den unges möjlighet att förstå och delta i rättegången. Om en ung person inte förstår förfarandet medför det att han eller hon inte kommer vara tillräckligt delaktig under rättegången, vilket påverkar den unges rätt att göra sin röst hörd och komma till tals i enlighet med BK. Unga lagöverträdare särbehandlas inom straff- och processrätt i förhoppning om att motverka att ungdomar identifierar sig som kriminella samt därigenom dras till ett umgänge med andra kriminella personer. Det finns även förhoppningar om att rättsprocessen ska fungera som en markör med en preventiv verkan. Brottmålsrättegångar är dock i huvudsak utformade av vuxna och för vuxna. Barn och unga brottsmisstänkta är således föremål för samma rättsprocess som vuxna utan någon faktisk anpassning efter deras ålder samt mognad. Under år 2002 gjorde Brå en utvärdering av reformen för påföljdssystemet beträffande unga lagöverträdare som trädde i kraft år 1999. Utvärderingen utmynnade i en rapport där Brå intervjuade sju ungdomar om deras upplevelser kring rättegången. Brå uppmärksammade särskilt två uppfattningar genom att lyssna till ungdomarna. De unga anförde att de inte alltid kände sig införstådda på hela förfarandet och på vad som sades samt att de inte ansåg sig komma till tals i tillräcklig stor omfattning. Uppsatsen undersöker huruvida unga lagöverträdares upplevelser av rättegångar kan anses vara stridande mot rätten till en rättvis rättegång och når slutsatsen att unga lagöverträdare inte får sin rätt till rättvis rättegång helt tillgodosedd. Rättigheten, som består av kriterierna skälig tid och oavhängig samt opartisk domstol, kan med anledning av bristerna som konstaterats i uppsatsen anses vara kränkt. Den oskäliga handläggningstiden i kombination med risk för att domare skapar sig förutfattade meningar om de unga tilltalade, kan anses strida mot rätten till en rättvis rättegång i enlighet med såväl EKMR som RF. I uppsatsen undersöks även domstolens möjlighet att förmedla de fundamentala straffrättsprinciperna till unga lagöverträdare i avsikt att åstadkomma en preventiv effekt mot ungdomskriminalitet. Till följd av att rättegångarna i huvudsak är utformade efter en vuxen person, blir slutsatsen att domstolen inte kan förmedla de fundamentala straffrättsprinciperna till unga lagöverträdare i tillräckligt hög utsträckning. Avsaknaden på ett barn- och ungdomsperspektiv under rättegångar kan därmed hindra att den preventiva straffrättsliga effekten gentemot ungdomskriminalitet vinner slagkraft. Det krävs att straffrätten uppfattas som trovärdig för att domstolen ska kunna uppnå en preventiv effekt gentemot ungdomskriminalitet; domstolens agerande och behandling av unga lagöverträdare är således en avgörande faktor i hur straffrätten uppfattas. De ungas upplevelser av rättegångar kan därmed indikera på att domstolen inte till fullo lyckas förmedla de fundamentala straffrättsprinciperna. I fråga om vilken effekt som unga lagöverträdares upplevelser av rätt rättegångar kan medföra, dras slutsatsen att en stor risk för stigmatisering och fortsatt brottsbenägenhet föreligger. Genom att försumma de ungas rättigheter under en rättegång, förblir risken stor att de lämnar rättssalen utan någon påverkan på deras framtida beteende. Sammantaget avrundas uppsatsens slutsats med att framhålla att det krävs mer forskning beträffande ungas upplevelser av rättegångar inom ramen för rätten till en rättvis rättegång. Mer forskning skulle resultera i en vidare inblick i den problematik som det nyliga nämnda innebär. Denna forskning bör vara väsentlig då det behandlar unga individer och deras framtid.
The human right to a fair trial is a cornerstone in a constitutional state and is regulated in both article 6 of the ECHR and in RF, the Swedish constitution chapter 2, paragraph 11, section 2. The right to a fair trial according to both the ECHR and RF requires that a public trial is to be held within a reasonable time and that the trial is to be held before an independent and impartial court. In order for the right to be met in accordance with the ECHR and RF, there are guidelines and principles formulated by the European Court of Human Rights, which must be taken into consideration when assessing whether a trial has been held fairly or not. In order for a trial to be assessed as fair, the minimum guarantees in Article 6.3 ECMR must be met. The right to a fair trial includes several different elements; one of the elements is fair dealing. In order for a trial to fulfill its purpose, it is required that the trial is held in such a way that the parties can follow what is happening during the proceedings. In the assessment of a fair trial, the type of the trial has to be taken into consideration. This means that trials that require special urgent procedures, such as trials concerning juvenile offenders, must especially meet the requirements of article 6 of the ECHR. Children are considered a particularly vulnerable group and are therefore in need for special protection in order to guard their rights. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Child Convention) regulates children's rights and applies to all individuals under the age of 18. The states that have ratified the Child Convention, must respect the Convention and give an account of the commitments that have been made to comply with it. A child’s right to speak and express its views applies to all children and means that both courts and other decision-making intuitions must be adapted for the purpose of including the children. This could for example include special preparations for children. According to Swedish national law there is an urgency requirement in cases involving juvenile offenders and the time between reactions from society and the juvenile’s crime should be as short as possible. Both a report from Brå and a review by Riksrevisionen, has shown that there are difficulties in complying with the urgency requirement for dealing with youth cases in 4 § in LUL. The European Commission has stated that in cases where a young person is suspected of a crime, the trail should be adapted according to his or her age and maturity. The court procedure must therefore be adapted in order to ensure the young person's ability to understand and participate in the trial. If a young person does not understand the procedure, he or she will not be involved during the trial, which affects the right of the young person to have his hear voice heard and speak in accordance with the Child Convention. Young offenders are treated differently in criminal and procedural law in the hope of preventing young people from identifying themselves as criminals. Criminal proceedings are however, mainly designed by adults and for adults. Children and juvenile offenders and victims of crime are therefore subject to the same legal process as adults without any actual adaptation. In 2002, Brå interviewed seven young people about their experiences of the trial. Attention was drawn to two perceptions by listening to the young people. The young people said that they did not always feel fully aware of the whole procedure and what was said and that they did not consider themselves being heard during the proceedings. This essay investigates whether juvenile offenders’ experiences of their trials can be regarded as conflicting with the right to a fair trial. The essay reaches the conclusion that juvenile offenders do not get their right to a fair trial fully met. The right consisting of the criteria of reasonable time and independent and impartial court may, as a result of the faults found in the essay, be considered to be violated. The unreasonable processing time combined with the risk that judges create prejudiced opinions about the young offenders can be considered to conflict with the right to a fair trial in accordance with both the ECHR and RF. The essay also studies the Court's ability to communicate the fundamental principles of justice to juvenile offenders in order to achieve a preventive effect against juvenile crime. The conclusion is that the trials are mainly designed for adults, which can result in difficulties for the court in communicating the fundamental criminal justice principles to juvenile offenders. The neglect of a child and youth perspective during trial may therefore prevent the preventive criminal justice effect against juvenile crime. Concerning the effect of trial for juvenile offenders, the conclusion is that there is a high risk of stigmatization and continued crime. By neglecting the rights of the young people during a trial, the risk remains high that they leave the courtroom without any effect on their future behavior. All in all, the essay finds that more research is needed on the experiences of juvenile offenders in the context of the right to a fair trial. More research would result in a larger insight into the problem.

Forskning visar att barn har svårt att komma till tals i familjerättsliga processer. Syftet med studien var att undersöka familjerättssekreterares erfarenhet av att tillförsäkra barn rätten att komma till tals och få inflytande i vårdnad-, boende- och umgängesutredningar. Kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med åtta familjerättssekreterare och resultatet analyserades med IPA, en fenomenologisk forskningsansats. Familjerättssekreterare upplever att barnsamtal är givande och viktigt, de träffar alla barn i utredningarna och är lyhörda för enskilda barns behov men barns delaktighet varierar till följd av exempelvis kommunikationssvårigheter. Ramar, riktlinjer och förutsättningar för utredningsarbetet försvårar delvis barns delaktighet, barnsamtal efter utredarnas bedömning eller uppföljningssamtal genomförs därför inte i vidare hög grad. Ett komplext utredningsarbete framträder som inkluderar ett tolkningsarbete av barnets utsaga, exempelvis med syfte att skydda barnet. En efterfrågan av utbildning i barnsamtal och tolkning av barns utsagor framkommer. Slutligen diskuteras behovet av metoder för att förstärka och säkerställa barns delaktighet, exempelvis diskuteras särskilda biträden till barn.
The aim of the study was to explore how social workers in family law experience their commitment to ensure children's participation in investigations of custody, residence and contact. Qualitative interviews were made with eight social workers in family law and the results were analyzed with IPA, a phenomenological approach. Social workers meet all children in the investigations and they are perceptive of children's specific needs, but children's participation varies due to communication trouble. Policy's and conditions of the work of investigation obstruct children's participation, hence children do not get the opportunity to hear the evaluation or to follow up the court ruling in higher extent. A complex work of investigation appears that includes a work of construction of children's statement in the purpose of protecting the child. A request for education in children's interview and construction of children’s statement emerges. The study ends by discussing methods to enhance and ensure children’s participation.

The present thesis explores intersectional and institutional conditions for counteracting domestic violence in the Swedish welfare state. Empirically, the study focuses on professional discourses and practices concerning fathers’ violence against mothers and children in the context of separation, in three domains of practice: 1) Children’s education; 2) Disputes concerning custody, contact and residence; and 3) Welfare benefits such as financial aid. Theoretically, the study draws on feminist political theory and sociology, childhood studies and critical race studies. The empirical material consists of court orders and interviews with staff and victimised mothers. Two main social processes that undermine implementation of children’s rights are identified and discussed: Familialisation and selective repression. The thesis is based on four articles: Article I, (Skolan, familjerätten och barnen) School, family law and children exposed to violence, explores how staff at school and preschool understands their professional task, when in encounters with children in difficulties due to family law proceedings. The results suggest that two competing perspectives shape staff understandings of risks, solutions and violence. When arguing from the child’s rights’ perspective, the staff prioritises children’s safety and participation, while an upbringing perspective tends to construct violence mainly as a problem of order, with disquieting implications for vulnerable children. Article II, (Pedagoger i det sociala uppdragets gränstrakter: Att hantera familjerättsliga processer, hot och våld)Pedagogues in the borderland of their social task: Dealing with family law proceedings, threats and violence, investigates strategies used by preschool and school staff, when encountering gendered conflicts and violence between parents. How do the staff cope with their own and children’s vulnerability? An analytical model of six types of proactive and reactive strategies, ranging from keeping distance to normalisation of own vulnerability, is utilised in the analysis and discussed in relation to organisational and professional circumstances and intersecting social relations of inequality. Article III, Contact and evaluations of violence: An intersectional analysis of Swedish court orders, examines obstacles to implementation of children’s rights in contested parental contact cases in which there are indications of violence. The analysis shows that the contact presumption is strong, and generally overrides protection. This norm applies even where there are convictions or explicit reports of child abuse or domestic violence. In cases with ‘non-Nordic’ fathers however, the contact presumption is less likely to override protection than in cases with ‘Nordic’ fathers. Article IV, Financial oppression and post-separation child positions in Sweden, deals with post-separation child positions in two domains of practice in the Swedish welfare state: Welfare benefits such as financial aid, and child contact. The area of concern is financial oppression in the context of parental separation. Findings suggest that financial abuse in the context of parental separation is a non-question in the domain of welfare benefits, and in the domain of child contact framed as a conflict between equal parties. The age order as a form of domination may be reinforced by the practice of both domains.

This thesis studies the role of international law in protecting the rights of marginalized groups and examines the case of street children as a group whose rights are not adequately protected. It argues that the omission of a reference to street children in international law is a contributing factor to the systematic violation of street children's rights. This discussion examines the concept of group and the meaning of group status in international human rights law. It links the notion of a "vulnerable group" to discrimination and discusses the required special measures and attention in applying the principle of non-discrimination. To illustrate this, the example of the right to education is employed to demonstrate the difficulty in applying international human rights law as it currently stands to street children. The right to education serves to illuminate the discrimination against street children and provides concrete meaning to the application of the principle of non-discrimination to specific groups. Therefore, the thesis examines the international rights of the child and all relevant binding and non-binding instruments to explain how particular provisions and principles may, constructively or adversely, affect the implementation of street children's right to education. The study finds that notwithstanding the apparent inadequacy of international law, relevant provisions have not been used optimally. An examination of the case study of Brazil confirms this, while underscoring the difficulty in linking norms and practice nationally and internationally. The discussion concludes that international law has the potential to better protect street children's right to education. By extension, the practical applications thereof extend to the rights of other groups that are not expressly covered at present. The key to this lies in exploring the role of human rights mechanism in teleologically interpreting human rights norms to determine, and monitor, state obligations towards specific groups.

This thesis examined the extent to which South Africa has domesticated the international provisions protecting foreign migrant children. The thesis further investigated procedural gaps and makes recommendations in respect of law and procedure to ensure the adequate protection of the rights of undocumented foreign migrant children in South Africa.

In the Latvian education system, the legal relationship between parents and the school is important. The child’s parents are obliged to take the child to school. It means that the State implements an education policy in line with both the findings based on educational science and that the child’s right to education is ensured at least at the basic school level. In Latvia, education law as a branch of law is an underdeveloped field. The legal relationship between children’s parents and the educational institution has been little studied from the legal science perspective. Thus, in this study, the author analyzes the role of the institute of parental responsibility in the field of education, using the methods of interpretation of general science and law – historical, grammatical and teleological methods. It is found that the special legal regulation of Latvia determines specific parental responsibilities and rights in providing education for their child. Teachers do not become substitutes for the child’s parents, but have a duty to do so as responsible and caring parent would do to their children. Parental authority does not end when the child enters the school premises, but it is limited to the extent that the educational institution fulfills its responsibilities by ensuring an educational process in accordance with the child’s interests and human rights.

The World Health Organization and World Bank (2011) estimate that there are more than 1 billion people with disabilities in the world. To address this population’s diverse needs, the United Nations drafted their Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006. Article 24 (Education) of the CRPD requires ratifying countries to develop an inclusive education system to address the educational needs of students with disabilities alongside their peers without disabilities. Despite substantive improvements and movement toward inclusive education, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to struggle with accurately identifying and supporting students with disabilities, including knowing how to effectively screen, evaluate, and qualify students for additional services (Hayes, Dombrowski, Shefcyk, & Bulat, 2018a). These challenges stem from the lack of policies, practices, and qualified staff related to screening and identification. As a result, many students with less-apparent disabilities—such as children with learning disabilities—remain unidentified and do not receive the academic supports they need to succeed in school (Friend & Bursuck, 2012). This guide attempts to address the lack of appropriate, useful disability screening and identification systems and services as countries look to educate all students in inclusive settings. Specifically, this guide introduces viable options for screening and identification related to vision, hearing, and learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms in LMICs. It also provides guidance on how LMICs can transition from an assessment-center model toward a school-based identification model that better serves an inclusive education system.

This brief provides an overview of child marriage as well as the particulars of child marriage in Mozambique. Mozambique, in southeastern Africa, is home to 17.5 million people, with 45 percent of its population under age 15. More than three-quarters of Mozambicans live on less than US$2 a day. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a devastating effect on the country; approximately 1.3 million adults and children are living with HIV, and 470,000 children have been orphaned because of AIDS. Life expectancy has fallen to 34 years, among the lowest levels in the world. Mozambique has one of the most severe crises of child marriage in the world today. Several local women’s rights groups have begun speaking out about this issue and were instrumental in ensuring the passage of the recent Family Law, which raises the minimum age of marriage for girls from 14 to 18, allows women to inherit property in the case of divorce, and legally recognizes traditional marriages. However, little capacity exists to implement the law. Included in this brief are recommendations to promote later, chosen, and legal marriage.

This brief provides an overview of child marriage as well as the particulars of child marriage in Zambia. This landlocked southern African nation is home to 10.9 million people, with 47 percent of its population under age 15. Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world; nearly two out of three Zambians live on less than US$1 a day. The country’s economic growth was hindered by declining copper prices and a prolonged drought in the 1980s and 1990s. More recently, the AIDS epidemic has taken a devastating toll: 920,000 adults and children are living with HIV/AIDS, and 630,000 children have been orphaned because of the disease. Child marriage is widespread in Zambia, even though the legal age of marriage is 21 for both males and females. Customary law and practice discriminate against girls and women with respect to inheritance, property, and divorce rights. Domestic violence is a serious problem, with over half of married girls reporting ever experiencing physical violence and more than a third reporting abuse in the past year. Included in this brief are recommendations to promote later, chosen, and legal marriage.