Between 8 September 2025 and 31 January 2026, Dr Kemal Saruhan undertook a comparative placement at the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), at the University of Strathclyde, to study youth justice in both Türkiye and Scotland. During this period, Dr Saruhan attended mock hearing sessions, visited secure care centres, and engaged with key stakeholders within the Children’s Hearings System, including panel members, practitioners, and academics. These experiences provided first‑hand insight into how Scotland operationalises a child‑centred justice model in practice. Bringing together Dr Saruhan’s dual background in law and child psychiatry, the placement allowed observation of each country’s approach to children in conflict with the law from both a clinical and legal perspective. The aim was to examine how different system designs align with children’s rights and child development principles, and to reflect on what each country can learn from the other. Although Türkiye and Scotland share a commitment to international children’s rights standards, their youth justice systems have evolved in very different ways.
In this short report, Dr Saruhan outlines key features of Türkiye’s youth justice system—highlighting contrasts and similarities with Scotland—and shares professional reflections and lessons that may also be relevant for Scottish practice.