EU: Experts highlight the need to address inequality and expand alternatives to child pre-trial detention in criminal proceedings
On 27 October 2025, the International Commission of Jurists held a webinar for prosecutors and law enforcement personnel, focusing on combating systemic discrimination and expanding alternatives to pre-trial detention for children in criminal justice systems.
The event brought together experts and practitioners to discuss how inequality is embedded within existing systems and how a child-centred, rights-based approach can drive meaningful reform. Participants highlighted that children in conflict with the law are often treated as individual offenders rather than as young people affected by broader social and economic inequalities such as poverty, exclusion, and limited access to education.
EU: Litigating before the European Court of Human Rights to protect migrant children from detention
On 13-14 October 2025, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) held a transnational workshop in Athens on strategic litigation before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to challenge the detention of migrant children.
EU: Ensuring the child’s voice is heard in legal proceedings
On 13–14 May 2025, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) held a workshop on child-friendly justice and procedural rights. Experts and practitioners from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malta, Austria and the Netherlands focused on how international and EU legal...
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.
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