In 2021, in light of the commitment made by the Scottish Government to incorporate UNCRC into Scots Law, CYCJ convened a group of children’s rights experts from across England, Ireland, Jersey, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to consider the implications and challenges of UNCRC incorporation across their separate jurisdictions. Today we publish ‘Rights Respecting Justice for Children in Conflict with the Law’, a briefing paper that shines a light on the discussions that took place within this forum.
This paper provides an overview of talking points within the group across the period May 2021 – September 2023, highlighting both the most pressing concerns for children’s rights across the nations, and the similarities and differences in policy and practice. Touching on key areas such as diversion from prosecution and ACR, this report synthesises the dicsussions that took place under a number of headings:
- Police Custody
- Children and Young People in Court
- Children and Young People in Custody
- Restraint and Isolation in Education and Health
- Restorative Justice
In December 2023 Scotland became the first devolved nation to incorporate UNCRC into domestic law, with the revised UNCRC Incorporation Bill passing unanmiously in Holyrood. The Rights Respecting Group will continue to meet going forward, with a view to sharing knowledge, learning, evidence, data and experience of best practice.
This briefing paper was prepared by the following members of the Rights Respecting Group: Holly Maclean, Fiona Dyer, Nina Vaswani, Deena Haydon, Maria Galli, Anthony Charles, Tim Bateman, and Ursula Kilkelly.
Access the report HERE