The COPE Network has provided a significant contribution to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment 27, which focuses on Children’s Rights to Access to Justice and Effective Remedies. This General Comment aims to clarify the terms, approaches and actions that States should take to implement the right of all children to access justice and effective remedies when their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child fail to be respected.
In its submission, the COPE Network highlighted the unique and often overlooked challenges faced by children with a parent in prison in accessing justice, including exclusion from legal processes and a lack of awareness about their rights.
COPE’s submission advocates for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to justice that recognises the specific needs of this group of children. It emphasises the importance of creating child-sensitive legal frameworks and environments, where children are informed about their rights, supported throughout legal proceedings, and given the opportunity to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives. The submission draws attention to the need for holistic, cross-sectoral approaches that integrate legal, social, and psychological support systems for children and families to address the complex challenges they face.
By addressing these issues, COPE aims to ensure that children who have a parent in prison, who are often marginalised and invisible within the justice system, receive the recognition and support they need to access justice and effective remedies.