A Legal and Institutional Assessment of Sri Lanka's Justice System for Children

Abstract

Justice for children encompasses legislation, policies, procedures and mechanisms specifically applicable to children who are victims (and witnesses) of crime and children in conflict with the law. UNICEF commissioned a comprehensive study of the functionality of Sri Lanka’s justice system for children. The report analyses the legal and institutional challenges to the effective administration of justice for children. It is presented in four parts: 1. An analysis of the gap between prevailing international standards and the domestic framework on justice for children 2. An assessment of the performance of key institutions involved in the provision of specialised justice services for children 3. Recommendations to strengthen the administration of justice for children from a legislative, policy and institutional standpoint. 4. A mapping of the above recommendations in terms of their impact and solvability in the context of Sri Lanka’s administration of justice for children.