CLC News Updates from the Children’s Legal Centre Wales
What's in the News? Blogs on current issues faced by children in Wales and the wider world
Reading my Rights Blogs by Swansea University Students, using Children’s fiction to explore children’s rights in Wales
What does Robert Cormier’s “Heroes” teach us about vigilantism?

What does Robert Cormier’s “Heroes” teach us about vigilantism?

After serving in the war, Francis Cassavant returns to his town with one purpose: to take revenge for his friend Nicole Renard. As a young girl, Nicole had been a victim of sexual abuse. The incident has left her with life-long trauma. The book "Heroes" deals with...

Reflections on children’s rights in Wales

Reflections on children’s rights in Wales

Dr Rhian Croke, Strategic Litigation and Policy Advocacy Lead, Children’s Legal Centre Wales   Recent events and reports on children’s rights Recently, there has been reports and events that have helped us to reflect on where there has been progress and where there...

Children’s Rights and the Law Event Report

In September 2024, the Children’s Legal Centre Wales was honoured to host the Child Law Network UK in Wales for the first time. The Child Law Network was established in 2019 and is a group of 9 legal NGOs, from across the UK who share the same aim that all children...

6 Rights Rapunzel Teaches Us

6 Rights Rapunzel Teaches Us

Most of us grew up reading or hearing about fairy tales and happily ever after. Many of us may have dreamed of being a princess or prince at some point. But what no one talks about is the terrible treatment most the heroines endure to get to their so called happily...

Understanding the General Election

Understanding the General Election

On 4th July 2024, the UK Parliamentary election, also known as the general election, will take place. This is how the British public decides who they want to represent them in parliament. Let's break down what a general election is, why it's important, and how it all...

An Inspector Calls and Wales’ Laws on Rape

An Inspector Calls and Wales’ Laws on Rape

Wealth. Guilt. Shame. These are all themes that take place in J.B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’; a play many students study for their GCSEs. Did you study this play, or did you study another text? Let me know in the comments below! This drama is centered around...

Five Ways to embed Children’s Rights in School

Five Ways to embed Children’s Rights in School

Five Ways to embed Children’s Rights in School   Teaching children about, for and through Children’s Rights is now a legal requirement as part of the Curriculum for Wales. Although Human rights are specifically mentioned in the Humanities and Health and...

Plight of Neglect: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Plight of Neglect: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda, you might have heard of, a well-known book, film and musical (the newest one out recently) of Roald Dahl’s. To be honest, I’ve only ever seen the movie. This story is about a girl called Matilda Wormwood. However, Matilda isn’t treated like a typical child;...

The Free School Meals Challenge in Wales: A Case for Optimism?

The Free School Meals Challenge in Wales: A Case for Optimism?

Simon Hoffman Background During the Covid pandemic the Welsh Government allocated funds to provide some (not all) children from low-income households in Wales with free school meals during the school holidays, or to provide their parents/carers with cash or vouchers...

Different in Wales

Different in Wales

Recently while at a local pharmacy, I saw a visitor to the area collecting an emergency dose of antibiotics. When the pharmacist handed him the medication, the visitor waited briefly before asking how to pay. The pharmacist smiled brightly and informed him that there...

Promoting a Children’s Rights Approach to child poverty in Wales

Promoting a Children’s Rights Approach to child poverty in Wales

Dr Rhian Croke & Professor Simon Hoffman   Poverty: A violation of children’s rights Amongst the many children’s rights issues, we focus on at the Children’s Legal Centre Wales and Observatory on Human Rights of Children, child poverty has been a key concern. As...

UN Committee on Rights of Child – UK Concluding Observations 2023

UN Committee on Rights of Child – UK Concluding Observations 2023

Dr Rhian Croke, Children’s Rights Strategic Litigation, Information and Policy Advocacy Lead Children’s Legal Centre Wales and Member of the Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group   Background to the UNCRC Reporting Process 6th / 7th Cycle of Reporting to the UN Committee...

Looked-after children not getting access to an Independent Visitor

Looked-after children not getting access to an Independent Visitor

Dr Rhian Croke, Child Rights Strategic Litigation and Policy Advocacy Lead, Children’s Legal Centre Wales   The Issue It is a statutory requirement that ‘looked-after’ children should be allocated an ‘Independent Visitor’ where it appears to the local authority...

Strip Search of Children: A violation of children’s rights

Strip Search of Children: A violation of children’s rights

England and Wales: Strip search of children A BBC File on 4 investigation asked all 44 police forces in England and Wales for information about strip search of children.[i]  A total of 31 police forces responded to the BBC’s request, revealing that in the last 5...

My Justice First Fellowship experience

My Justice First Fellowship experience

I was drawn to social justice work as a career choice due to my background as an adoptee, in addition to work experience I had undertaken at the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’s office when I was 16 years old. I have a passion for helping others and I wish to...

Poverty and children’s rights

Poverty and children’s rights

Living in poverty undermines children’s rights guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). For example, it has a negative impact on children’s right to life and survival, and to develop to their maximum potential (Article 6 UNCRC), to an...

Child Rights in the USA

Child Rights in the USA

The Observatory and Children's Legal Centre Wales have links with child rights activists and researchers in many countries across the world, including the USA. This summer our work was represented at a major international conference held online and across time zones...

County lines, knife crime, the law, and your rights in Wales

County lines, knife crime, the law, and your rights in Wales

No More Knives, by Christina Gabbitas is a new book which looks at five friends and how they become involved in county lines and knife crime. The story covers the harsh reality of the plight of young people involved in county lines, including what they were expected...

How the law in Wales has changed since the days of Hetty Feather

How the law in Wales has changed since the days of Hetty Feather

I can’t be the only one who loves anything Jacqueline Wilson writes and Hetty Feather has always held a place in my heart. Being one of Jacqueline Wilson’s most famous books, Hetty Feather follows the life of a girl who was abandoned by her mother at a foundling...

Why does Wales have stronger laws on children’s rights than England?

Why does Wales have stronger laws on children’s rights than England?

This new book The Impact of Devolution in Wales: Social Democracy with a Welsh Stripe? co-edited by Professor Jane Williams and Dr Aled Eirug, which includes a chapter on children's rights, offers some insight into that question. The edited collection reflects on two...

How can art break the law and get you into trouble?

How can art break the law and get you into trouble?

Night Owls by Jenn Bennett Jenn Bennett is an American author of novels for both teenagers and adults. One of her award-winning books, Night Owls, follows the adventures of two teenage artists, Bex and Jack. Bex is a student who aspires to become a medical...

A new Welsh Government plan for children: the devil is in the detail

A new Welsh Government plan for children: the devil is in the detail

Critical friends - driving change for children Wales since devolution has been pursuing an agenda that seeks to respect and promote the human rights of children as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC or Convention). Why is this...

Mental health and young people’s experience of food poverty in Wales

Mental health and young people’s experience of food poverty in Wales

On Children's Mental Health Week, we consider the relationship between children and young people’s experience of food poverty in Wales and mental health. All rights are connected and related to each other. How might your right to health, including mental health, be...

Memory, Dignity and Justice

Memory, Dignity and Justice

The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau - as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day, every year, the UN urges every Member State to remember and honour the six million Jewish...

International Day of Education

International Day of Education

The United Nations General Assembly has declared the 24th of January as ‘International Day of Education’. The aim of this day is to commemorate the role education plays in peace and development. Articles 28 and 29 of the UNCRC provides every child with the right to an...

Girls Under Pressure – Jacqueline Wilson

Girls Under Pressure – Jacqueline Wilson

Content warning: eating disorders Author Jacqueline Wilson’s books are well-known for tackling difficult subjects, are Girls Under Pressure is certainly no different. It’s written from the perspective of Ellie, a teenage girl who is struggling deeply with the way she...

‘What’s wrong with children’s rights?’

‘What’s wrong with children’s rights?’

What a privilege it was to listen to Lady Hale deliver our Observatory on Human Rights of Children Annual Lecture (online, 10th November). In her 2013 inaugural Annual Lecture for the Observatory she asked the question: Who’s afraid of Children’s Rights? This year the...

Children’s Rights and the International Pandemic Treaty

Children’s Rights and the International Pandemic Treaty

On November 29th the World Health Assembly will meet to discuss an International Treaty on Pandemics. Drawing on lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, the treaty (which will be legally binding under international law) will support international efforts to...

Matilda and your right to go to school

Matilda and your right to go to school

Roald Dahl’s Matilda is a book loved by millions, and has been ranked number 30 among all time children’s novels by the School Library Journal! Have you read it? If you haven’t, you may have watched the movie or musical version. Any version is worth the time. It is a...

Orange: Your right to good mental health

Orange: Your right to good mental health

TW: Suicide, depression Are you interested in an engaging story, with a realistic portrayal of mental health issues? Then you should read Orange! Orange is a Japanese manga, written, and illustrated by Ichigo Takano. The manga, set in Matsumoto, follows the current...