Children’s Equitable Access to Justice: Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia

This publication illuminates the experiences and situations of children who seek to gain justice for violations of their rights. Very little is known globally about the experiences of children in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia who deal with rights violations and their subsequent experiences with the judicial system of their country. This study focuses on Albania, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Montenegro.

The main research findings show that: children’s justice needs across criminal, civil, and administrative settings are inadequately addressed; children and their families know little about child rights and where to seek redress; children face tremendous obstacles in accessing justice; judicial and administrative procedures are generally not adapted to children; and for some groups of children, obstacles are exacerbated.