Summary:
This webinar is a recording of the launch of the Children’s Right’s at Court Guidance Toolkit.
The Guidance Toolkit, developed by the Children’s Rights at Court Group under the Youth Justice Improvement Board, aims to support practitioners and agencies to understand their roles and responsibilities to support and uphold the rights of children appearing at court. The toolkit outlines at each stage of a child’s journey through the court process how a rights respecting approach might be facilitated and why this is necessary, highlighting the legal basis for these requirements. The launch is timely given that the provisions of the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act to enhance the safeguards to the welfare and safety of children in criminal proceedings will go live on 30 March 2026. In this webinar the need for the toolkit will be highlighted, as will what we know about existing court practice and opportunities based on local authority feedback. The guidance toolkit will be introduced, its development explained, and how this information is being shared with partners explained. Practical suggestions of how information on children’s needs can be communicated with courts and rights-respecting approaches can be adopted will be shared. There was an opportunity for participants questions.
Bios:
Karen Suszek is one of the co-chairs of the multi-agency Children’s Rights at Court Group, alongside Debbie Nolan, established to explore how children’s rights can be more fully realised for children appearing in criminal courts. The group is a sub-group of the national Children’s Rights Implementation Group, who report to the Scottish Government’s Youth Justice Improvement Board.
Links shared during the webinar:
- Upholding Children’s Rights at Court: Roles and Responsibilities and Children’s rights at court guidance summary
- Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 – Children in Police Custody Guidance
- Education: Information requests for children appearing in court proforma
- Sign up to receive CYCJ’s eBulletin – http://eepurl.com/dvyBuv
- Upcoming webinars – https://www.tickettailor.com/events/childrensandyoungpeoplescentreforjustice