Access to justice is both a right and a means to restore rights that have been violated. The concept of children’s access to justice - which is the focus of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment 27[1] - requires the legal empowerment of all children. However, the reality is that many barriers remain, including the lack of child-friendly procedures, affordable processes, and lack of access for marginalised groups of children. Improved access to justice, including children’s access, can educate communities on their rights and help them access relevant information to claim those rights. By doing so, communities can become more resilient and build better systems and structures for the future.

This session will delve into access to justice through the lens of Save the Children Australia’s ongoing litigation against the Australian Government regarding the repatriation of children from Syria and Save the Children’s efforts to improve Pacific children’s access to climate justice in the world’s highest court.

The panel of speakers will get the opportunity to address the above issues and highlight how they overcame the barriers in fighting for access to justice, as well as why it’s important to continue improving children’s access to justice.

Attendees will gain (a) a better understanding of the definition and scope of ‘access to justice’ and the role it plays in combating inequality, challenging discriminatory practices and protecting and promoting the fulfilment of human rights; and (b) a strengthened contextual understanding and appreciation of the role of strategic litigation to help the ‘voiceless’ access justice, and lessons learnt from speakers’ experience in enabling children and youth claim their rights.

[1] GC27 is on Children’s Access to Justice and Effective Remedies