The main objective of this study is to investigate the practical treatment of Unaccompanied Minor Refugees (UMR) in Ghana and South Africa, and to explore whether such treatment is in accordance with existing international norms and standards for the protection of refugee children. The study will focus on the realisation of children’s socio-economic rights in order to measure treatment. This study also seeks to address the obstacles which prevent the full and proper treatment of UMR, and to make recommendations as to how the international community can better regulate the treatment of UMR. In essence, this paper aims to investigate whether there is a discrepancy between the rights of child refugees acknowledged in international law and the situation of UMR in practice, and, if so, how this can be remedied. This paper seeks to show, through the case studies of Ghana and South Africa, that UMR are, to a certain extent, lost in the system / A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Mr E.Y. Benneh of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

The Diploma Thesis called The exercise of parental responsibility by persons serving prison sentence deals with the institute of parental responsibility, which means fulfilling and execution of rights and duties of parents serving prison sentence towards their underage children. Legal framework of this institute pursuant to current legislation in the Civil Code is described in detail in the theoretic part, the next part deals with the execution of sentence prison sentence as a specific life circumstance in which a human being is caught in as a parent. The research survey carried out in selected Czech penitentiaries for execution of prison sentence of men and women. The thesis analyses the current legislation of rights and duties of parents serving prison sentence and maps their carrying out in practice. Using the quantitative methodology, the results of the research survey show that rights and duties of parents acknowledged by legislation and in practice of the Constitutional court of the Czech Republic are substantially restricted during the execution of prison sentence. This restriction is caused by system obstacles as well as material and legal ones, both on the side of convicted parent and on the side of penitentiary and other state and non- state subjects that are supposed to take part in the...

This Diploma Thesis is focused on the issue of the value of a child's wish in the framework of the divorce/break-up settlement. In the theoretical part of this thesis, the child's status, its right to participate and the means of ensuring that in the mentioned framework are presented. In this thesis, the term child's wish is also discussed in the context of defending child's own interest. In the last chapter of the theoretical part, there is illustrated the suitable way how to interview a child. The aim of the practical part is to, through half-structured interviews with the professionals taking part in this process and an analysis of those interviews, answer the main research question: How do the professionals taking part in the divorce/break-up settlement perceive and deal with the child's wish in this process? The research part of this thesis is also focused on the possible space for change in the contemporary attitude towards children as participants of trials.

The aim of this thesis is to examine to what extent the Convention on the Rights of the Child may be regarded as an effective instrument for a state’s aim to abolish child trafficking. An underlying aim is to examine what factors make a convention effective in general. The study is conducted through a doctrinal method with a legal sociological perspective, examining the normative aspects of law. In this sense, Ghana’s implementation of Article 35 of the CRC is evaluated, in order to reach the objective of the study. Thus, the Ghanaian legal system constitutes the base upon which the analysis is made. Hereby, the effectiveness of the CRC is measured by the extent to which the commitments made by Ghana, have led to the adoption of concrete measures to improve the rights of children as it pertains to child trafficking, since the ratification of the CRC. An underlying aim is to discover what factors may affect the effectiveness of a convention, such as inadequate legal framework, its application of it or other cultural factors.  In order to measure the effectiveness of the CRC, a normative model is applied, explaining both the notions of compliance versus effectiveness. Herein, it is clarified that: in order to measure the effectiveness of a convention in this matter, one first needs to examine if the national legal framework complies to the convention in question. Thus, in the first part, it is concluded that Ghana has successfully incorporated the CRC in its legal framework. In the second part, it is shown how, despite of the effective incorporation of the CRC, there remains a gap between what is prescribed by law and the manifestation in practice.                                                     Different factors have been concluded to influence the effectiveness of the Convention. In order for a state to implement measures to deal with an issue, there must be a clear standard set out in the convention in the first place. In this regard, it has been noted that the lack of clarity and ambiguity of the wording in Article 35 of the CRC may have affected the effectiveness of the convention. Moreover, it is noted that the nature of the issue: the phenomenon of child trafficking, in itself, is a complex issue with certain elements that makes it more challenging to regulate than “normal” human rights violations. Not least, it is proven how the socio-cultural norms of Ghana have a noticeable effect on the implementation of the Convention. At last, it is demonstrated how the process of norm-internalization in a state may affect the effectiveness of a Convention: it has been shown how Ghana’s policy-making system has not been effective in practice. Nevertheless, the conclusion remains: the effectiveness of a convention depends on the function it serves in the first place. As for the case of the CRC, it remains an effectivetool to abolish child trafficking as long as the States Parties take united responsibility to make it so. / Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka i vilken utsträckning barnkonventionen (CRC) kan utgöra ett effektivt instrument för en stats ändamål att avskaffa barnhandel. Ett bakomliggande syfte med studien är att utreda vilka faktorer som gör en konvention effektiv generellt sett. Studien baseras på en rättsdogmatisk metod i ljuset av ett rättsociologiskt perspektiv där de normativa aspekterna av lagen undersöks. I detta avseende utvärderas Ghanas implementering av artikel 35 i CRC för att uppnå syftet med studien. Således vilar den rättsliga analysen på det ghananska rättssystemet som grund. I sammanhanget granskas barnkonventionens effektivitet med avstamp i hur de åtaganden som gjorts av Ghana har lett till vidtagande av konkreta åtgärder för att förbättra barns situation vad gäller barnhandel. En normativ modell tillämpas för att förstå vad begreppen effektivitetoch efterlevnadinnebär i sammanhanget. Här klargörs att, för att mäta effektiviteten av en konvention, måste det först undersökas huruvida det nationella regelverket uppfyller de reglerade skyldigheterna i den ifrågavarande konventionen. I den första delen dras slutsatsen att Ghana har införlivat barnkonventionen på ett tillfredsställande sätt.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I den andra delen redovisas det hur det kvarstår en diskrepans mellan vad som föreskrivs i lag och hur lagen manifesteras i praktiken, trots det effektiva införlivandet av barnkonventionen. Det påvisas hur olika faktorer påverkar en konventions effektivitet. I detta avseende noteras det att (bristen på) tydlighet och klarhet i ordalydelsen av artikel 35, kan påverka konventionens effektivitet. För att en stat ens ska kunna genomföra åtgärder för att hantera en viss fråga måste det finnas en tydlig standard i konventionen i första hand. Vidare noteras det att problemets natur: fenomenet barnhandel i sig, är en komplex fråga med vissa element som gör det mer utmanande att reglera fenomenet än ”normala” kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter. Inte minst anmärks det hur de sociokulturella normerna i Ghana har en märkbar effekt på tillämpningen av barnkonventionen.                                                                                                       Slutligen redogörs det för hur olika norminternaliserande faktorer i en stat kan påverka effektiviteten av en konvention: det redovisas hur Ghana brister i författandet av effektiva ”policies” för att åtgärda problematiken. Slutsatsen påvisar hur effektiviteten av en konvention beror på den funktion som konventionen har i första hand. Vad gäller barnkonventionen, utgör den ett effektivt verktyg i kampen mot barnhandel, så länge som medlemsstaterna faktiskt tar enat ansvar i att säkerställa dess effektivitet. / Minor Fields Studies, SIDA

The child’s participation in any legal matter involving him/her is crucial whether received directly or indirectly through a legal representative. The significance of the child’s views in legal matters is accepted internationally and is entrenched in South African law. This is the main feature of the present research. In Roman law the paterfamilias was the complete antithesis of the best interest of the child with his paternal power entirely serving his own interests. The best interests of the child progressively improved his/her participatory rights and the dominance of paternal authority in Roman, Germanic, and Frankish law eventually gave way to parental authority and assistance in Roman-Dutch law. This advanced the child’s participation in legal matters and under Roman-Dutch law, his/her right of participation included legal representation by way of a curator ad litem. The child’s best interests were consistently viewed from an adult’s perspective and resulted in an adult-centred assessment of his/her best interests. Statutory intervention increased the child’s participatory and representation rights, however, the tenor of these items of legislation remained parent-centred. The Appeal Court later dispelled any uncertainty regarding the paramountcy with respect to the best interests of the child. During the 1970s in South Africa, the emphasis began shifting from a parent-centred to a child-centred approach in litigation between parents in cases involving their children. An open-ended list of factors comprising the best interests of the child accentuated this shift. Courts were encouraged to apply the paramountcy rule in legal matters concerning children and to consider the views of children in determining their best interests. The new democratic constitutional dispensation in South Africa, followed by the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter, obligated South Africa to align children’s rights with international law and standards. The South African Law Reform Commission set out to investigate and to formulate a single comprehensive children’s statute. The resultant Children’s Act 38 of 2005 is the most important item of legislation for children in private law in South Africa. The Children’s Act provides for the widest possible form of child participation in legal matters involving the child. It revolutionises child participation requiring no lower age limit as a determining factor when allowing the child, able to form a view, to express that view. The child’s right to access a court and to be assisted in doing so further enhances his/her participatory right. Effective legal representation is the key in ensuring that children enjoy the fundamental right of participation equal to that of adults in legal matters involving children. Comparative research of child laws in Australia, Kenya, New Zealand and United Kingdom confirms that South Africa is well on the way in enhancing children’s participatory and legal representation rights in legal matters concerning them. This illustrates that only the child’s best interests should serve as a requirement for the legal representation of children in legal matters. Continued training is essential to ensure the implementation of the Children’s Act and requires a concerted effort from all role-players. / Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Private Law / unrestricted

As of January 1st, 2020, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was incorporated as a law in Sweden. This raises some questions about how it would influence and implicate the Swedish way of executing youth sports. Several media and experts in children's and youth sports have argued that using selective methods such as ranking or topping the team might not be in accordance with the convention. What the legislation entails and how the convention is taken into account in practice, however, seems to be largely dependent on how this is interpreted by those who are expected to implement it. The purpose of this study is therefore to gain insight into how children and youth coaches interpret the convention and its new status as a Swedish law. We also aim to understand how the coaches reflect on these selective methods from a children's rights perspective. The examination uses a phenomenological approach with qualitative semi structured interviews. The study's theoretical framework consists of three theories. We adopt the perspective of social constructionism to understand how coaches create meaning of the convention, institutional theory to understand how institutionalized logics and values can influence reflections and the theory of deviant conformity to understand how deviations from normative ideas and behaviors are understood and what they are based on. Some of the insights gained from the analysis were as follows: None of the coaches has experienced any change as a result of the convention being incorporated as a law. The convention is perceived as difficult to interpret by most of the coaches and the legitimacy of selective methods is considered to be in a gray zone. Several coaches ́ descriptions indicate that the structure of the Swedish sports movement largely influences their way of reflecting and assenting to the convention. The most frequently occurring problematic aspect regarding practical activities is perceived to be the children's parents. / Vid årsskiftet till 2020 blev de Förenta Nationernas barnkonvention inkorporerad i svensk lagstiftning. Detta väckte en del frågeställningar om hur svensk barn-och ungdomsidrott skulle komma att påverkas. Flera medier och experter inom barnidrott har argumenterat för att selektering och toppning av barn inte är i linje med konventionen och att det därför inte längre, legitimt kan bedrivas. Vad lagstiftningen innebär och hur konventionen beaktas i praktiken tycks dock till stor del vara beroende av hur detta tolkas av de som förväntas implementera den. Syftet med denna studie är därför att skapa insikt i hur barn- och ungdomstränare tolkar barnkonventionen och dess nya status som svensk lag. Studien avser även att skapa förståelse för hur tränarna reflekterar kring just selektering och toppning för barn utifrån ett barnrättsperspektiv. Undersökningen använder en fenomenologisk ansats och kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer för att förstå dessa fenomen från tränarnas egna perspektiv. Studiens teoretiska referensram utgörs av tre teorier. Vi antar ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv för att förstå hur tränarna skapar mening av konventionen, nyinstitutionell teori för att förstå hur institutionaliserade logiker och värderingar kan influera reflektioner samt teorin om avvikande konformitet för att förstå hur avvikelser från normativa idéer och beteenden förstås och vad de baseras på. Ur analys av insamlat material har studien lett till bland andra följande insikter: Samtliga tränare upplever att deras verksamhet inte förändrats till följd av att konventionen blev lag. Konventionen uppfattas svårtolkad av de flesta tränarna. Selektering och toppnings legitimitet upplevs utgöra i en gråzon i relation till konventionen. Flera av tränarnas beskrivningar indikerar att den svenska idrottsrörelsens struktur till stor del influerar verksamheternas förhållningssätt gentemot barnkonventionen. Den mest återkommande problematiska aspekten i relation till praktisk implementering upplevs vara barnens föräldrar.

This thesis titled Amendment to the social-legal protection of children from the perspective of employees of social-legal protection deals with the social-legal protection of children in the Czech Republic, where in connection with the adoption of the amendment to the social-legal protection of children effective from 1st January 2013 saw a number of changes in the activities of the social-legal protection of children and the exercise of social-legal protection of children in general. In this thesis describes the most important changes that the Law on the social-legal protection of children and bring briefly outlined in this work also changes from 1st January 2014 will bring an amendment to the Civil Code, the issue of social-legal protection of children is closely related. The empirical part of the thesis interprets the opinion of respondents - professionals in the adopted amendments, interprets their needs and opinions of management on the governing bodies and the good social-legal protection abroad. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

This study is exploring how social workers working for the Social Services in the Stockholm area, experience the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which has become part of the Swedish law. The Social workers that participated in the study, are working with children that are being abused or witnessing abuse in their home environment. The students of the study focus on how the social workers think the new law can affect them in their work with the children. Furthermore, this study wants to investigate, if the new law can give the social workers a different approach when working. There were six social workers that participated in the study from different Social Service offices within the Stockholm area. The result of the study showed that the social workers were positive towards UNCRC becoming part of the Swedish law, but they illustrated having a low trust in how it will affect them in the practical work. However, collaboration with the welfare system, could make a difference on the children's future. The social workers also explained, that with the right knowledge, they could intercept the abused kids in their home earlier and faster.

Utgångspunkten för studien var att Kriminalvården fick kritik från barnrättskommittén när det gäller barn till föräldrar som är frihetsberövade. Kritiken riktades bl. a. mot att barn dels reser långt för att besöka sin förälder samt dels att barn som reser långt inte med automatik får förlänga besökstiden på vissa anstalter. Uppsatsen har samtidigt pekat på utmaningar och viktiga förutsättningar för att beakta barnkonventionen inom kriminalvården. I ett svenskt sammanhang, efter att barnkonventionen blivit lag i Sverige 2020, har organisationsutvecklingen med avseende på uppfyllande av barns rättigheter inom den offentliga sektorn varit relativt outforskad. Uppsatsen fyller förhoppningsvis en del av den kunskapsluckan. Syftet med denna studie är att visa hur Kriminalvården utvecklats med avseende på uppfyllande av barnkonventionen. Frågeställningarna fokuserar på hur kriminalvården förbättrar sin verksamhet genom att ständigt beakta barnkonventionen vid ärende som rör barn. Studien genomfördes som en kvalitativ studie. Datainsamlingen till denna studie skedde genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer, nio respondenter som är barnombud på olika nivåer i hierarkin i region väst deltog. Studien visar att Kriminalvården styr sina processer centralt uppifrån genom att informera om lagstiftning och nationella riktlinjer för att förmedla hur barnkonventionen ska beaktas i regioner och lokala enheter. Sedan tolkar varje enhet riktlinjerna på det sättet som passar verksamheten såsom häkte, anstalt eller frivård. Studien visar att det krävs mer samarbete mellan olika myndigheter för att främja arbetet mot barnets bästa. Enligt studien räcker det dock inte med att beakta barnkonventionen i handböckerna eller genom utbildningar utan det ska finnas ett personligt engagemang hos medarbetarna om de ska anses vara kundorienterade. / The starting point for the study was that the Swedish Prison and Probation Service received criticism from the Committee on the Rights of the Child when it comes to children of parents who are deprived of their liberty, criticism that children travel far to visit their parents, and criticism that children who travel far may not automatically extend their visit to certain institutions. At the same time, research has pointed to challenges and important conditions for considering the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the prison service. In a Swedish context, after the Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes law in Sweden in 2020, the organizational development with regard to fulfilling children's rights in the public sector has been relatively unexplored. The research aims to fill part of that knowledge gap. The purpose of the study is to see how the Swedish Prison and Probation Service develops with regard to compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The issues focus on how the prison service improves its activities in order to constantly consider the Convention on the Rights of the Child in matters concerning children. The study was conducted through a qualitative study. Data collection for this study was done through semi-structured interviews, nine respondents who are children's representatives at different levels in the hierarchy in the region west. The study shows that the Swedish Prison and Probation Service controls processes centrally from above by informing legislation, national guidelines for communicating how the Convention on the Rights of the Child is taken into account to regions and then to local units. Then each unit interprets the guidelines in the way that suits the unit type, such as detention, institution, or probation. The study shows that more cooperation is needed between different authorities to promote work for the best interests of the child. According to the study, however, it is not enough to consider children's conventions in the handbooks or through training, but there must be a personal commitment on the part of employees considered customer-oriented. / <p>2021-06-11</p>

Syftet med denna uppsats har varit att undersöka vilka faktorer som styr socialsekreterares arbete med barns rätt och delaktighet samt vilken betydelse barnkonventionen har i socialsekreterarens arbete och om det har skett någon förändring sedan barnkonventionen inkorporerades som lag.  Studien baserades på fem kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer. Tre av intervjuerna genomfördes med personer som arbetar som socialsekreterare och två intervjuer med personer som i dagsläget arbetar som biträdande enhetschefer på en familjeenhet. Resultatet av studien har bearbetats utifrån en tematisk analys, för att sedan analyseras utifrån de teoretiska perspektiven systemteori, ekologisk systemteori och gräsrotsbyråkrati samt de teoretiska begreppen barnperspektiv och barns perspektiv. Det som framkommit av studien gällande våra frågeställningar om faktorer som möjliggör och hindrar socialsekreteraren i arbetet för barnets rätt och barnets bästa, har summerats i två huvudteman med tillhörande subteman. Resultatet av studien har visat att barnkonventionen länge varit en självklar del i socialsekreterarens arbetssätt, både praktiskt och teoretiskt. Därför har lagförandet av barnkonventionen inte gjort någon större skillnad hos socialsekreterarna på familjeenheten. Däremot visar studien att de större förändringarna som skett efter att barnkonventionen blivit lag snarare handlar om andra aktörers arbete, vilket i sin tur har medfört en betydande skillnad i socialsekreterarnas arbete för barnets rättigheter och bästa. Studiens övergripande slutsatser kan sammanfattas i följande punkter; Samhällssystemen styr socialsekreterarens förutsättningar att utföra sitt arbete, Barnkonventionen har gett verktyg för andra aktörer att inta ett barnrättsperspektiv, De organisatoriska förutsättningarna på varje enhet spel en stor roll samt Politikens prioriteringar påverkar socialsekreterarens förutsättningar i stor utsträckning. Avslutningsvis visar resultatet av vår studie att det är många andra faktorer än bara lagar som påverkar förutsättningarna för att socialsekreteraren ska kunna utföra sitt arbete på ett adekvat sätt och att det i nuläget finns fler hinder än möjligheter för en socialsekreterare att arbeta för barnets rättigheter och bästa. / The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate the factors that are influencing govern social workers' work with children's rights and participation and the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the work of social workers and whether any changes has occurred since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was incorporated into law. The study was based on five qualitative semi-structured interviews, three of which were conducted with social workers and two with current assistant unit managers in a family unit. The empirical data was analysed using thematic analysis, and the analysis was guided by the theoretical perspectives of systems theory and street level bureaucracy, as well as the theoretical concepts of child perspective and children's perspective. The study has shown that the Convention on the Rights of the Child has always played a natural part in the social workers' working methods, both practically and theoretically. However, the study also reveals that the major changes that have occurred since the Convention on the Rights of the Child became law are more related to the work of other actors rather than the social workers encountered in this study.  The overall conclusions of the study can be summarized in the following points; Social systems determine the social worker's ability to perform their work, Political priorities affect the social worker's conditions to a great extent, The Convention on the Rights of the Child has provided tools for other actors to adopt a child rights perspective, The organizational conditions in each unit play a major role. In conclusion, the results of our study show that there are many factors other than just laws that affect the conditions for the social worker to be able to perform their work adequately, therefore there are currently more obstacles than opportunities for a social worker to work for the rights and best interests of the child.