Sections
DONATE
SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM
Account Login
Session on Child Rights, Juvenile Justice Admin begins in Gambia
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 17:26
PANA - Security operatives from the police, immigration, anti-drug agency,
the national intelligence agency and the Army are participating in a three-day training session on Child Rights and Juvenile Justice Administration in The Gambia, PANA reported Tuesday from here.Organized by the Department of Social Welfare office in Banjul, in partnership with the UNICEF country office, the session which began Tuesday is being attended by about 30 security officers.
Addressing the participants, the Acting UNICEF Country Representative in The Gambia, Dr. Meritxell Relano, said juvenile justice in The Gambia needed the active participation of the government, partners and the community, especially the judiciary and law enforcement officers, to improve the situation.
According to Dr. Relano, organizations like the Child Protection Alliance (CPA) and Youth Crime Watch should work with youth to sensitize them on the laws and crime prevention among young people.
She said the protection of children should be made a national priority in The Gambia for an improved and effective child justice administration system.
'Juvenile justice is a significant component in a country's overall legal and judicial system and it requires sufficient commitment, allocation of resources to ensure that juvenile justice system is in line with international standards,' she stressed, adding that the current training session was important because the participants would be responsible for protecting the rights of children in contact or conflict with law, in line with the Children's Act 2005 and the Convention the R ights of the Child (CRC).
Dr. Relano noted that with the large and growing population of youth, the issue of juvenile justice had gained growing recognition in many African countries, noting that a juvenile offender was entitled to basic guarantees as well as legal or other assistance for his or her defence while judicial proceedings and institutional placements must be avoided wherever possible.
According to Gambia's Children's Act of 2005, it is mandatory for all juvenile offenders who have been locked up to attend school at the prison and receive other basic rights.
She disclosed that UNICEF and the Gambian government supported juvenile justice reforms, adding that an after-arrest procedure was developed detailing steps to be taken by Police officers when they arrest a child suspected to have committed a crime.
She also explained that a juvenile justice syllabus had been developed and introduced into the Police Training School and Police Child Welfare officers deployed in each Police Station to handle juvenile justice cases in The Gambia.
However, she was quick to note that despite these developments, provisions for the establishment of a Children's Courts in the regions had not been implemented, saying that Gambia had still not developed policies to tackle juvenile justice.
Jollofnews Poll
Who do you think should be the next President of The Gambia?
Follow us on Twitter
-
Anti-cuts protest at Clegg's homeHundreds of anti-cuts protesters gather outside Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's home in south-west London.
-
Egypt candidate to seek election suspension: lawyerCAIRO (Reuters) - Leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahy will file an appeal for Egypt's presidential election...
-
Bristol Rovers Speed Merchant Could Be Racing To Posh(GamSports) – Peterborough United are thought to be one of a number of Championship sides...