Smacking in Wales will soon be banned (from 2022). You may have seen in the news earlier this year when this change in the law in Wales was announced. So why is the law going to be different in Wales and what difference will the change make to children? What does the...
It’s International School Meals Day on 12th March. Whether its references to five, or even seven, a day, the amount of sugar in so-called healthy food, or the colour coded nutritional information on food we buy, there is definitely more of a focus on how healthy our...
It can be hard to find your brave when it feels like the world is against you – but you have a right to good mental health, and the law in Wales supports this. The classroom erupts into laughter, even the teacher can’t fully supress a grin. Your own smile evaporates....
The law is different in Wales. Not all of it, but in some important areas, the law in Wales is different to the law in England. In this blog, we look at why the law is different in Wales, and why it’s important to know this! Why IS the law different in Wales? In 1997,...
The school day is over and all of your friends are talking about their plans for the rest of the day. You can’t join in though. Like other Young Carers, you have to think about other things. While your friends are free to go out and play, you will busy looking after...
The UNCRC – the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – is 30 today. 30 years of standing as a charter for the human rights of children, not just here in Wales, but across the world. It’s the most signed international convention ever – but 30 years ago,...
Access in the community is not always straightforward… Picture this. You’ve decided you want to see some of your friends, you’ve worked out what you’re going to do, where you’re going to meet them and how you’re going to get there. You start to get excited, looking...
October is Walk to School Month, a global event to celebrate the benefits of walking to school and identifying the barriers that get in the way of more children being able to walk to school. In this blog we look at the law around ‘walking to school’ and see if there...
23rd September is the United Nations official ‘International day of Sign Languages’, raising awareness of the importance of sign languages and realisation of the human rights of approximately 72 million deaf people worldwide. The ability to communicate is an important...
What’s your favourite Roald Dahl book? I love them all but one of my absolute favourites is Matilda. If you haven’t read it (or seen the film, or the musical), it’s about a brilliant little girl whose family treat her like dirt – and it’s only when she meets Miss...
School uniform in Wales has been in the news recently. The Welsh Government has introduced new guidance to schools planning on introducing a school uniform, or changing the school uniform that they already have. The guidance must be followed from 1 September 2019. So...
By Alex Davies The latest book that we’re covering in the Children’s Legal Centre ‘Reading your rights’ series is called ‘Lies we Tell Ourselves’ written by Robin Talley. The book itself was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and has been described as “A moving young...
By Nikita Austin 'The Story of Tracy Beaker’ written by Jacqueline Wilson follows the life of Tracy Beaker who is ten years old and is one of many children in care - She lives in a children's care home which she calls' the dumping ground. Tracy is always in trouble...
By Istarin McVicar We are always told that we should listen to adults as they’re older than us and know best. This is normally the case and most children are lucky enough to have parents that look after them and tell them what to do because they love them and wish to...
We’re delighted to publish this ‘guest blog’ by Lucie Boase, a paralegal working with Jocelyn Cockburn, a partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, who is instructed by Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, the mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah. Although these sad events happened in London, air...
...and the social workers and foster carers who look after them! The Children’s Legal Centre Wales and Welsh Government have been working together to produce a series of factsheets for Young People who find themselves in Wales seeking asylum, without family to care...
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 may provide a legal framework which will force politicians to think about the long term future of Wales, and not just about whether they will get re-elected at the next election. We talk a lot about the future –...
The Children’s Legal Centre Wales is celebrating the news that it has secured funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for the next 3 years. The £150,000 grant means the organisation can continue to develop accessible, bilingual online information for children and...
Stories can help us make sense of the world. They can take us to different places and times. They offer escape when we need to leave our own place and time behind for an hour or two. Stories can also make us think about situations we might experience ourselves, and...
“Let us be the ancestors our descendants will thank” Professor Owen, Director of Swansea Law Clinic and Professor of Legal Studies, recent lecture on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 provided an insightful introduction to the Act; in relation to...
The Children’s Legal Centre for Wales is all about providing information about the law in Wales to children and young people living here. We grew out of the work that has been done, and continues to be done, by the Observatory on the Human Rights of Children which...
Whether you like it or hate it, if you go to school in Wales, you probably wear a school uniform. School uniform was in the news a lot last summer during the long heat wave. Some girls complained because their school uniform meant that they had to keep on wearing...
The UK Government is changing the divorce law in England and Wales so that there will be less conflict between couples who no longer want to be married. We don’t know yet what the new laws will be in detail, but a recent consultation which invited people to give their...
The Welsh Government has identified that there were 105,625 school pupils with ‘special educational needs’ in Wales in 2017/2018[1]. It has also researched how children and young people are being supported and has decided that the system that has been in place for 30...
It’s all very well knowing that there’s something you want to change, but how do you actually go about making that change? Whether it’s a change in the law, or a change in policy, understanding how that change might happen and who you should talk to about it is...
Guest Blog by Polly Sweeney Thousands of children with disabilities will now be properly protected from discrimination in schools after a landmark ruling has found the government’s equality laws are unlawful. The Upper Tribunal has held that regulations under...
Understanding the law is essential for the world we live in to be fair and just. After all, if you don’t know what your rights are how are you supposed to make sure they are respected and upheld? Here at the Children’s Legal Centre Wales we are very passionate about...
“A significant moment in the development of democracy in Wales” The Occasion – a ‘DGD Hub’ - live discussion over video link about the role of children as human rights defenders in advance of the UN’s Day of General Discussion, scheduled to take place in Geneva on...
Here it is! It’s been a long time in the planning and preparation but the Children’s Legal Centre Wales has its website up and running – obviously because you’re here on the website now, reading this blog… Welcome! Have a look around and let us know what you think....
Discrimination could potentially affect anyone at some time during their education, so here’s a guide about what it means and what you can do if you think you’re being discriminated against. What is discrimination? Discrimination is different and unfair treatment. You...