Conference
Symposium on 'Constitutional children’s rights and the role of courts as a tool for domestication of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child after 30 years'
- Date
- Wednesday 4 December 2019
- Time
- Location
-
Old Observatory
Sterrenwachtlaan 11
2311 GW Leiden
The symposium is organised by the Department of Child Law at Leiden University, Leiden Law School, at the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
December 2018 saw the celebration of 20 years of constitutional ligation on children’s rights in South Africa, following the inclusion of a dedicated children’s rights clause in the landmark 1996 Constitution, which laid the foundation for the transition from apartheid to democracy. This much analysed jurisprudence has provided a benchmark for other countries to consider constitutionalising one or more aspects of children’s rights as contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (apart from the right to education which is commonly provided for in national constitutions). Landmark judgments from other constitutional courts have risen to prominence.
This symposium attempts to address the international understanding of children’s rights domestication through constitutionalisation and provide a springboard for a more in depth and informed approach. Prof. dr. Julia Sloth-Nielsen, Professor of Children's rights in the developing world and prof. dr. Ton Liefaard, Vice-Dean for Education of Leiden Law School, Professor of Children’s Rights and holds the UNICEF Chair in Children’s Rights, are the instigators of this symposium.
The symposium takes place at 4 December, in the Old Observatory in Leiden. Among the speakers are Ms. Meda Couzens, a PhD candidate at Leiden University who studies the enforcement of the CRC by national courts, prof. dr. U. Kilkelly, prof. dr. K. Sandberg, prof. dr. A. Skelton, prof. J. Todres and prof. dr. N. Espejo-Yaksic.
You are welcome to register. You are also warmly invited to attend the PhD defence of Ms. Meda Couzens at 3 December.