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Child abuse is a very serious issue, it occurs all around the world all the time. It is important young people understand and involve themselves in Canaidian political process. A good place to start learning more about the rights of children is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child -- the most ratified international instrument in history. Or, if you are interested in Canadian legislation affecting children, please consult my newsletter and legislative report, Children & the Hill. In March of 1998, I co-chaired Out From the Shadows, which brought together 54 youth delegates from Canada, the USA, and latin America including the Caribbean, to tell their tragic stories as youth exploited in the sex trade. In 1997-98, I co-chaired the Special Joint House Committee on Child Custody and Access. The much-anticipated report For the Sake of the Children is the product of lengthy hearings attended by more than 500 witnesses from across Canada. In addition to the parents and children who testified - the individuals most affected by the Divorce Act - there were also legal, mental health, child development and child protection experts, and other interested groups.
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.I have the right to be listened to... and to participate in decisions
that directly affect me
in ways that are appropriate
for my age and maturity. |
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States Parties shall ensure that:
(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age;
b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time;
(c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular, every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the child's best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain contact with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in exceptional circumstances;
(d) Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right to prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance, as well as the right to challenge the legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty before a court or other competent, independent and impartial authority, and to a prompt decision on any such action.
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