|
Working
to promote and protect the rights
and the
best interests of children
INTRODUCTION
The
Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre (LACC) is an
independent non-profit, non-partisan and
non-governmental legal resource organisation. It was
established in 1987 by a group of women lawyers,
attorneys the protection and promotion of the rights
and interests of women and children. On
15
November, 1998, the Legal Aid and Consultancy Center (LACC)
established a Children Justice Center (CJC) in
Kathmandu. It was established with the support of the
International Labour Organisation, International
Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC).
THE NEED
AND PURPOSE
Children are the most important and integral component
of any society. They deserve the best the family,
society and the nation has to offer. Children have
inherent right to survival, protection, security,
development, love, care, education, health care,
justice, peace and freedoms. Thus no national
development programme could be complete without the
inclusion of children’s well being. The child
development and welfare policy must emphasise the
participation of entire communities, society and the
national government itself. It is imperative for the
government to include child right as an important agenda
while formulating national policies and programmes
Young
children generally do not realize the gravity of the
atrocities perpetrated upon them. Because of their minor
age, they are also unable to protest against their
exploitation. Thus, they easily fall prey to various
kinds of exploitation, sexual abuses, forced child
labour and harassment at places of work. They are
sexually abused and exploited. Children are facing
increasing risk of various type of abuses,
exploitation and violence against them in our society.
Recently, many cases related to paedophilia, child
rape, forced and worst form of child labour and children
working under hazardous conditions (resulting in the
loss of body parts) have been brought to the notice of
the CJC. The incidences of forced child labour and cases
of sexual abuse of children are found almost in all the
districts.
The
Children Justice Center was thus, established to help
the needy child victims of sexual abuses, exploitation,
trafficking, forced and worst form of child labour and
those deprived of their basic child rights to secure
justice through legal recourse and court proceedings;
to enhance and strengthen the law enforcement mechanism
to protect the rights of children and to abolish all
forms of abuses and exploitation of children in Nepal
MISSION
One of
the main aims of
Children Justice Center is
to practically activate the provisions of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Conventions
of the Rights of Child and Nepal Children Act, 1992
for the protection of the rights and the best interests
of children through legal and judicial process and
strengthening of the law enforcement mechanism. The CJC
acts as a pressure group for the protection of child
rights. It advocates and lobbies with the Government,
Parliamentarians, Judges, judicial officials and law
enforcement agencies to implement the provision of the
existing national and international instruments on
the protection of the rights and the best interests of
children and make concrete plans, programme and
policies to protect children form sexual abuses,
exploitation, trafficking and forced child labour.
Areas of
work:
-
Child
rights
-
Child
labour and Worst Form of Child Labour
-
Legal
and judicial protection of children
-
Practical implementation of the national and
international instruments on child rights
-
Strengthening of law enforcement mechanism
-
Propagation of national and international instruments
on child rights
-
Sexual
abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children;
-
Education, training, awareness and sensitisation on
child rights
-
Free
legal aid, counselling, mediation and court
representation to child victims
-
Legislative drafting and public policy influencing
-
Advocacy and networking
-
Research, documentation, case studies and publication
OBJECTIVES
-
To
provide free institutional legal aid, counselling,
support and court representation to the child victims
of sexual abuses, exploitation, trafficking, forced
and worst form of child labour and those deprived of
their rights.
-
To
work for the protection and promotion of the rights
and the best interests of children.
-
To
promote and propagate the principles and provisions
of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Conventions on the Rights of Children
-
To
work for the practical implementation of the
provisions of the Nepal Children Act, 1992, the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and other
international Conventions, Covenants and Declarations
on child rights
-
To
file case on behalf of the child victims and plead
their cases in the court of law
-
To
secure justice for the child victims through legal
process and court proceeding.
-
To
strengthen national law enforcement mechanism and
institutions for the protection of the rights and the
best interests of children
-
To
inform and sensitize the Members of Parliament,
government officials, Judges, Public Prosecutors,
Judicial officials, lawyers, police administration,
medical personnel and general public about the
magnitude and gravity of the sexual abuses,
exploitation, trafficking of children and child labour
in the country
-
To
promote and propagate the principles and provisions of
international instruments on child rights and raise
awareness of grassroots about the principles and
provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and other International Instruments on Child
Rights through various demonstrative activities,
publication, seminars, training and talk programmes.
-
To
work in close co-operation with the governmental,
non-governmental, inter-governmental organizations and
UN agencies working for the protection and promotion
of the rights and the interest of the children.
Methodologies
It will
accomplish its goals, aims and objectives through legal
aid, counselling, mediation services and court
representation, strengthening of law enforcement
mechanism, human rights education, training,
dissemination, sensitization, documentation,
fact-finding, research, publications, advocacy,
campaign, lobbying, networking,
ACTIVITIES
Free
Legal Aid and Counselling
The
Children Justice Center
helps the needy child victims of sexual abuses,
exploitation, trafficking, forced and worst form of
child labour and those deprived of their basic child
rights to secure justice through legal recourse and
court proceedings. For this purpose, it
provides
free legal aid, counselling, mediation services and
court representation to the above-mentioned child
victims
In the
42 months of its existence till June 2002, the CJC has
taken up 419 cases on behalf
of child victims (as against a target of 350) either
working under forced labour conditions or having been
abused physically/sexually, for legal protection. 119
cases of child victims have been filed in various
courts, out of which 64 cases have been decided, and 55
cases are currently under judicial process. LACC/CJC won
45 cases in favour of the child victims.
Legislation/Policy
influencing:
LACC is dedicated to reformulating
the existing legal and traditional social system and
public policies in the best interests of women and
children through initiation of innovative legislative
and judicial process. The basic aim of
LACC is to influence
the legislative reforms and public policies for the
protection of the rights and best interests of
children. LACC/CJC thus, reviews the existing national
and international provisions on the child rights, to
identify deficiencies and contradictions and prepare
coherent draft legislation on child rights and child
labour in accordance with international standards
The CJC
has also scrutinized and analyzed Nepal Children's Act,
1992. It has found various shortcomings, deficiencies
and weaknesses in the Act. It has been working on
correcting these deficiencies and updating the Act. It
will submit its findings and recommendations to the
government.
Advocacy
and Campaign
LACC/CJC
undertakes advocacy, campaign and lobbying with policy
influencing institutions, judiciary, individuals and
grassroots community for the protection of child
rights, abolition of the worst from of child labour,
abuses and exploitation of children. In
1999, His Majesty’s Government of Nepal established a
"Juvenile Bench" in all District Courts as per the
provisions of the Children's Act. LACC/CJC was one of
the front-line organizations advocating and campaigning
for the establishment of a separate Children Court,
Family Court and Juvenile Bench.
For the
first time in the legal history of Nepal, staff attorney
of LACC/CJC filed the cases of children and physically
pleaded on behalf of child victims in a court of law.
It is a landmark event in the legal history of Nepal
The CJC
has been strongly advocating for the inclusion of cases
of child abuse and child exploitation as Criminal Cases
under the proposed "Prevention of Trafficking Act 2056"
drafted by the government.
Workshop, Training, and Seminars
Notwithstanding the existence of various laws on the
protection of child rights (Nepal Children Act) at
national level and ratification of international human
rights instruments by Nepal, abuses and exploitation of
children and worst form of child labour continue to
thrive. Such practices continue to prevail unnoticed in
the society. They are against the provisions of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ILO
Conventions on the Rights of the Child and curtail the
rights of the child. Most
of the people are not aware of the CRC, ILO Conventions
on Child Rights and national instruments for the
protection of child rights. Therefore, CJC
also undertakes simultaneous legal awareness and
sensitisation campaign against such practices through
publicity, media, discourses, training and workshops.
Networking
The CJC
has networking and coordination arrangements with
various governmental and non-governmental organizations
working in the interest of the children to make people
aware of the problems faced by the children as well as
to improve their situation. It makes common approach
with other organisations to deal effectively with the
legal, social and economic problems encountered by the
children
Data
Collection:
The CJC collects data and information on various issues
confronting the children especially on legal matters. It
is in the process of creating a database on child
victims and their legal remedial process
Current
Programmes
Since
1998, CJC has been implementing a project which provides
legal aid, counselling and court representation to the
child victims of child labour, abuses and exploitation.
This is being sponsored by the ILO/IPEC.
Since
its establishment in November, 1998 till June, 2002,
the CJC has taken up 419 cases
on behalf of child victims (as against a target of 350)
either working under forced labour conditions or having
been abused physically/sexually, for legal protection.
119 cases of child victims have been filed in various
courts, out of which 64 cases have been decided, and 55
cases are currently under judicial process. LACC/CJC won
45 cases in favour of the child victims.
For
Further information, please contact at:
The
Legal Aid and Consultancy Center (LACC)
The
Children Justice Center
Mailing Address: GPO Box
No. 3216. Kathmandu, Nepal
Street Address: Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal
Tel.
No. 00977-1-5543 111
Fax
No. 00977-1-5523 871
Email:
lacc@wlink.com.np
Website: http://www.laccnepal.com
Website:
http://www.geocities.com/lacc_nepal
Doti
district Office, Tel. No.
: (094) 20191
Jhapa
district Office, Tel. No.
: (023) 20227
To
continue please click on
Programmes.
|
