Protecting the Procedural Rights of Children in the Digital Age at the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children.
While digital technologies, including virtual hearings are often promoted as solutions to increase the efficiency of justice administration and enchance access to justice, little attention is paid to children’s specific experiences in these settings. The PPRO Child – Protecting the Procedural Rights of Children in the Digital Age project, funded by the Justice programme of the European Commission, implemented by Penal Reform International and Terre des hommes is looking into this area and focuses on gathering empirical data, analysing practices across Europe, and developing child-sensitive standards for digital justice. The project was recently featured on the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children.
At the first workshop, academic experts along with youth participants as well as representatives of the Council of Europe and the Fundamental Rights Agency discussed whether and how international and European standards on procedural safeguards of children apply in digital settings. This was followed by a research workshop, where one of the founding member of the Virtual Criminal Justice Network, Dorris de Vocht along with researchers Oscar O’Mara and Polina Klykova gave an overview of the intersection of remote justice and the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children in conflict with the law and presented the findings of the empirical research conducted in Spain, Ukraine, Romania and Ireland.
Building upon the previous discussions, the 3rd workshop shifted the lens to the gaps and promising practices. While PRI’s Jerome Mangelinckx’ presentation portrayed the situation across the Europe, experiences of Grainne Smyth, Advocacy Officer at Oberstown Child Detention Campus, who collects complaints of young people staying at the facility, shed a light on the specific needs of different groups of children, especially neurodivergent young people. Finally, participants were invited to draft policy and practical recommendations to address key problems children face during remote hearings.
Finally, on Day 3, a plenary session on Digital Justice and Artificial Intelligence & Children’s Rights was realised with the moderation of Manu Krishan – Global Campus Human Rights and Daniel Rodríguez Fernández De Marcos, child member of the Spanish State Council for the Participation of Children and Adolescents. The session key speakers: Nessa Lynch from University College Cork, Ireland, Alexandru, Child and Youth Advisory Committee member, Aitor Cubo, Director General for Digital Transformation of Justice -Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Court Relations, Spain, Sebnem Erener, Legal Expert in AI Ethics, Governance & Policy, and Angela Vigil, Youth Experiential Learning Labs Creator and Children Lawyer, have reflected on the risks and potential of digitalisation of child justice practices and the role of public and private actors in safeguarding those affected.
