Source: http://www.project-tale.org/module-3
Timestamp: 2018-02-21 11:29:32
Document Index: 603670063

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No 16969', 'Application No 30943', 'Application No 31871', 'Art 3', 'Art 6', 'Art 19']

for Formal Proceedings
Have had the opportunity to reflect critically on the ways in which you represent the child’s views, wishes and feelings in written documents prepared for court hearings;
Considered the opportunities for using children’s rights-based arguments to support your case
As we will be focusing in this module on the ways in which you present information to your child clients in written form, it would really helpful to have the following items to hand:
Generally statements have the solicitor’s voice in them, not the client’s voice. You have your little set phrases that go into them! What the court thinks is relevant and what the client thinks is relevant is always different.
— Lucy Yeatman
Have you obtained feedback on your draft statement from the child client before it was finalised
If I had a child who wanted to be heard and the judge was unwilling, I would phrase an argument around his or her Article 6 (ECHR) rights, the right to a fair trial, I’ve never used the UNCRC in a case and I’ve been doing children’s law for 15 years
Improving outcomes in your cases. Drawing more confidently on international children’s rights sources can enhance the chance of success insofar as they add weight to a particular claim, and may even provide the grounds for a successful appeal. A particularly effective technique for using the ECHR to protect children’s rights, for example, is to cross-refer to the relevant provisions of the UNCRC to achieve a more child-focused interpretation of the ECHR provisions. For example, Article 7 of the UNCRC which acknowledges the child’s right to know and be cared for by his/her parents, has been referred to by the ECtHR in support of a father’s challenge to his son’s adoption which had occurred without his knowledge (Keegan v Ireland (Application No 16969/90) [1994] ECHR Series A 290). In Sahin v Germany (Application No 30943/96) [2001]) and Sommerfield v Germany (Application No 31871/96) ECHR 2003-VIII 341) - both concerning applications for child contact - the ECtHR referred to Article 12 of the UNCRC in determining both the extent to which the child should be allowed to participate in proceedings and the weight that should be attached to the views expressed. Equally, in the context of juvenile justice, the ECtHR has referred to Article 40(3) UNCRC to inform its interpretation of Article 6 ECHR concerning the right to a fair trial.
Article 3 UNCRC (the best interests principle) can be used in conjunction with Article 8 ECHR to support children’s right to family life. This is typically used in immigration proceedings, but also think about cross-fertilising Article 8 ECHR arguments with Article 7 UNCRC (children’s right to be cared for by their parents); Article 8 UNCRC (the child’s right to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations; or Article 9 (the child’s right not to be separated from his or her parents).
Article 3 ECHR (prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment) has been used in child protection cases and could be supported by explicit reference to a range of UNCRC provisions, including Art 3 (the best interests principle); Art 6 (children’s right to life, survival and development); and Art 19 (right to be protected against all forms of violence)
The courts say that the Children Act 1989 was written with children’s rights in mind, so the courts think they don’t have to consider rights-based arguments, but they are the lazy judges; the more respected judges would consider rights arguments
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