The Council of Europe's Children's Rights Division presented a new Child-Friendly Justice Assessment Tool during a meeting of the Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens Rights and Free Movement of Persons, held in Brussels on June 24. The tool aims to help member states evaluate and strengthen their justice systems to ensure they truly serve children's needs. It has been developed as part of the Joint European Union-Council of Europe Project on Child-friendly Justice.
This tool provides key indicators to assess whether national legislation, institutions, and practices are in alignment with the Council of Europe’s Guidelines on Child-friendly Justice. In this way, it aims to support member states in meeting the standards for child-friendly justice in all situations in which children come into contact with the justice system. It addresses key concerns of child-friendly justice, including the need for specialised training of professionals, and the effective implementation of child-friendly proceedings that support children's right to be heard and participate.
During the Brussels meeting, representatives from Belgium, Poland, and Slovenia shared findings from their country self-assessments conducted with this tool, which is being piloted in these three countries as part of the project. The tool is currently available in English, and is being translated into French, Dutch, Polish, and Slovenian.