Strengthening the child’s right to participate in family law

On the 27^th of October the panel ‘Strengthening the child’s right to participate in family law’ took place online, organized by Dr Charlotte Mol of UCERF. Together with the expert panelists, Dr Velina Todorova (University of Plovdiv & member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child), Dr Aoife Daly (University College Cork) and Evelyn Merckx (UGent), the panel addressed the future of the child’s right to participate in family law proceedings.

Three statements based on Dr Mol’s research were presented to the experts. The first statement was whether international and European norms for the child’s right to participate should aim to be more pragmatic and achievable. The panelists strongly disagreed and were in favor of continuing to aim for the full achievement of children’s rights. The second statement sparked a discussion on how to deal with views of (potentially) unduly influenced children. Finally, the panelists were in agreement with regards to the third statement, that the direct participation of children may be the preferred mode of participation, although the value and necessity of other modes of participation was also emphasized.

With more than 40 participants from all corners of the world the online panel was an inspiring discussion of children’s rights. If you are interested in the research of dr. Charlotte Mol, her book ‘The Child’s Right to Participate in Family Law Proceedings’ is now available at Intersentia.