The Law is Different in Wales

In Wales, the law is often different to the law in England. It’s also different to the law in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This is because the UK government has given power to the National Assembly for Wales (and to the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly) to make some of its own laws. It is also different because the Welsh Government recognises the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). You can find out more about why the law is different in this blog.

The law is especially different in lots of the areas that affect children and young people, including education, health and social care.

Make sure you are treated properly

If life is going well for you, you may not need to know what the law is, or what your ‘legal rights’ are. If things aren’t going so well for you, the law may be able to help. If you know what the law says, you can use this to make sure you are treated properly and get what you are entitled to.

Some situations when you might need to know about the law include:

• If you aren’t getting the right help and support at school to help you learn
• If you can’t go to school for some reason but you aren’t getting access to education
• If you are in trouble with the police
• If your parents are splitting up and you want to have a say in what happens to you and where you live
• If someone is bullying you or hurting you
• If your local playground has been damaged and no one is repairing it
• If you don’t have somewhere safe to live

The Children’s Legal Centre Wales

The Children’s Legal Centre Wales is a project to provide information for anyone who needs to know about the law in Wales and how it affects people who are under 18.

At the moment, we can’t give you advice on your specific situation but we can tell you what the law says and we can introduce you to other people and organisations that may be able to help you.

Remember that if you’re not living in Wales, the information on this website may not apply to you. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own children’s legal centres, so if you’re living in one of these places, you need to visit their websites for the right information about the law.