We have just published our report on Access to Justice!
We, along with 13 organisations working on children’s rights, have found that there are significant barriers for children to access justice when their rights are breached. This collaborative work was prompted by the significant rise in demand for our service, which has increased significantly since the beginning of the year. We are especially concerned with the growing number of people reaching out to us with no way of accessing justice to remedy their rights breaches.
Access to justice is a fundamental principle of the rule of law, meaning that people can have their voices heard, exercise their rights and hold decision-makers accountable. It is the fair and equal opportunity for everyone to secure their rights under law and demand that they be protected, no matter your background or financial status.
The top 5 issues:
- There is a concerning lack of education and training on children’s rights.
- There are financial barriers blocking children from accessing legal advice and representation when they need it the most.
- Legal aid is not available to all who need it
- The system for creating change is lacking
- Children are not included in policy design
Recommendations
- Confidential and child-friendly complaint mechanisms for reporting all violations of their rights and raising awareness among children of their right to file a complaint. Legal support and representation in addition to remedies, including by removing barriers faced by children. Adequate training on children’s rights for officials.
- Legal support and representation in addition to remedies, including by removing barriers faced by children.
- Adequate training on children’s rights for officials
Read the summary report here: ATJ Summary Report
Read the full report here: ATJ Full Report