Case Law Database
A key objective of the project is to map existing CRSL practice. This entails gathering and collating information on who is doing or has done CRSL, on which child rights-related topics, where, and before which bodies.
What is Child Rights Strategic Litigation?
Child rights strategic litigation is litigation that seeks to bring about positive legal and social change in terms of children’s enjoyment of their rights.
It is not merely ‘child rights jurisprudence’, ie. jurisprudence that centres on children’s rights set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child or other international, regional or domestic child rights instruments (e.g., constitutions or legislation).
However, some CRSL cases will indeed involve or constitute good examples of child rights jurisprudence.
Likewise decisions in domestic child law (e.g., in the context of family law, child protection or education law), while important, are not the focus of this project.
Whether a case qualifies as CRSL depends on a number of factors. These include:
1. The process that led up to the case.
2. The way in which the case was developed or shaped by child rights during litigation (both in terms of legal argumentation and in terms of litigator practice)
3. The remedy granted.
4. The outcome of the case (both legal and extra-legal)
Case law database
This open access, public database collates key child rights strategic litigation cases identified by the project partners and will be updated throughout the lifetime of the project.