Summary:
Child-centred justice represents a paradigm shift: moving beyond systems that merely adapt procedures for children, towards systems fundamentally designed around children’s rights, developmental needs and lived experiences.
In this webinar, speakers defined child-centred justice as a system-level approach and explore its key features, including its solution-oriented framework, emphasis on multi-agency coordination, and commitment to meaningful child participation.
Drawing on Scotland’s Whole System Approach as a practice-informed case study, the webinar demonstrated how child-centred justice principles can be operationalised across policing, prosecution, care and custody; offering transferable lessons for jurisdictions seeking to translate children’s rights into justice practice.
Presentation slides are available here.
Useful links:
Article: Towards Child-Centred Justice as a System-Level Paradigm Shift: Conceptualising a New Framework Through the Scottish Whole System Approach: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14732254261431986
Reimagining Secure Care – Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice
Help way earlier! How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing
Child Outcomes Review Children’s Experiences of Barnahus and Related Services
Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime | Edinburgh Law School
Child Friendly Justice Assessment Tool
Rights respecting in residential care free eLearning module
Resources from CYCJ:
- CYCJ’s eBulletin: http://eepurl.com/dvyBuv
- CYCJ’s upcoming webinars: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/childrensandyoungpeoplescentreforjustice
- CYCJ’s learning and development opportunities: https://www.cycj.org.uk/what-we-do/learning-and-development/