Children’s Rights

There is no legal right in England to children’s participation though it is in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). There are exceptions in terms of children in care, or in certain legal situations. The relevant articles from the UNCRC are:

Article 2 – requires all the rights in the CRC to be implemented for every child, without discrimination.
Article 12 – children have the right to express their views, and to have these views given due weight in all matters that affect them
Article 17 – the right to receive, seek and give information
Article 13 – right to freedom of expression, so long as they respect the rights of others
Article 23 – gives disabled children the right to active participation in their community.

A great over-view of the issue of participation in England and its link to the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, clicking here

The government has webpages that explain the United Nations Convention and its relationship to UK government. Click here

UNICEF have a very good document that looks at the links between the Convention and the five outcomes of Every Child Matters: Click here

CHILDRENS RIGHTS - THE STARTING POINT