The Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Access to Justice

Children that encounter the justice system are entitled to specialized processes and procedures in consistence with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international standards. However, many justice systems fail to be child-friendly or gender-sensitive and do not meet the needs or uphold the rights of the child.

In times of crisis the existing child protection violations are exacerbated. The COVID-19 pandemic also has a negative impact on children’s safety in encounters with the justice system. This brochure presents survey data from 157 UNICEF country offices regarding children’s experiences of the justice system.