


EU: Better support structures for children in conflict with the law are needed
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) organized a series of workshops for social workers and probation officers working with children from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands and Slovakia. The goal was to share experiences, identify common challenges, and highlight effective practices in supporting children in conflict with the law.
Topics discussed included methods of conducting individual assessment of children, diversion options as alternatives to formal criminal proceedings, the availability of support organizations, the role of parents throughout justice processes, and the impact of institutional discrimination on children in conflict with law.

EU: Access to a lawyer in juvenile justice proceedings remains a key concern in several EU Member States
In April 2025, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and partners organized two online workshops for legal practitioners from six EU Member States who work with children in conflict with the law. These workshops follow up on the Transnational Exchange Roundtable held in March 2025 in Brussels and aim to explore specific issues in greater depth and strengthen legal assistance for children in conflict with the law.

ECtHR: ICJ and FORUM intervene in defense of children below the age of criminal responsibility in the Czech justice system
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and Forum for Human Rights (FORUM) submitted written comments to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case Hlaváček v. the Czech Republic. The intervention concerns procedural guarantees of children below the...
EU: Lawyers strategizing ways forward against threats to judicial independence across the EU
On 21-22 March 2024, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), together with Forum for Human Rights, Human Rights in Practice, aditus and Free Courts, held a workshop on tackling attacks on judicial independence and the autonomy of the prosecution through disciplinary and criminal proceedings, in Prague.