Children and young people in Wales have consistently expressed the need for better understanding of their rights under the law. In an increasingly complex legal and social environment, access to accurate, age-appropriate legal information is essential for informed citizenship, safeguarding, and empowerment.
At the Children's Legal Centre Wales we are working on providing legal education accessible to children in Wales through our Legal Education Resources. These resources have been trialled with Pentrehafod school and Bishop Gore school and are in the process of being edited. Finalised resources will be published on the Children’s Legal Centre Wales website later in the year.
To find out more about the need to public legal education please see our latest briefing and blog.
Article 13: I have the right to get information and share my views.
The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice
Knife Crime In Wales
In her recent blog, Children's Legal Centre Wales, Dr Rhian Croke Child says 'Knife crime is a deeply concerning issue that demands a thoughtful, evidence-based approach’. Recent official statistics indicate that, while media coverage may suggest otherwise, child knife crime is on the decline. This marks the sixth consecutive year of decline. The number of knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children (England/Wales) in the year ending March 2024 dropped by 6% compared to the previous year. It is also important to acknowledge that the majority of knife crime offences are committed by adults not children.
During the Legal Education trial lessons, it was clear that this is not the picture that is being portrayed to young people. Many young people get their information regarding knife crime through mainstream or social media, where the issue is often sensationalised. Some studies suggest that media campaigns might increase fear and the likelihood of children carrying knives.
Many young people were unaware that it is illegal to carry a knife, and they were shocked to find out, that claiming to carry a knife for self-defence would not be accepted by a court of law. Again, strengthening our call for Legal Education for young people in Wales.
Article 17: I have the right to get information in lots of ways, so long as it’s safe.
(access to information from the media) Every child has the right to reliable information from a variety of sources, and governments should encourage the media to provide information that children can understand. Governments must help protect children from materials that could harm them
Strip Search of Children
For many, strip searching of children at a police station is something only seen on a TV show such as Netflix’s Adolescence and BBC Eastenders. However, this is a reality for far too many children, across the UK and in Wales.
Children’s Legal Centre Wales has been calling for a ban of the strip searching of children, we have conducted research into the strip search of children in the Welsh context and our research has recently been debated in the Senedd.
In feedback from a recent Legal Education trial session 'Contact with the Police', when asked ‘Something I learnt in today's session’, one Year 7 pupil wrote ‘You can have naked body checks/pat downs,’ demonstrating that children may be completely unaware that the police have powers to strip search them.
Article 40: I have the right to be treated as a child if I break the law
States Parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child’s sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child’s respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child’s age and the desirability of promoting the child’s reintegration and the child’s assuming a constructive role in society
Children's Rights Approach to Child Poverty
Almost a third of children are living in poverty in Wales. Living in poverty continues to have a devastating & lasting impact on children’s lives — & it's a direct threat to their fundamental human rights.
In May, we were delighted to continue our powerful collaboration on embedding a children’s rights approach into the practice of public bodies, through co-hosting a webinar on aChildrens Rights Approach to Tackling Poverty, with our colleagues at the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and Observatory on Human Rights and Social Justice.
Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, presented"The Right Way to Tackling Child Poverty” — a principled and practical UNCRC-grounded framework for public bodies to address child poverty
You can find out more about this programme of work here
Article 27: I have the right to have a proper home, food and clothing
States Parties recognize the important function performed by the mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.
We hope you have found this information useful, and we would welcome any information on upcoming events or resources that we can share with schools. For more information on the Law in Wales and how this affects young people please visit The Children’s Legal Centre Wales.
If you would like to read previous Newsletters please click here
Mae plant a phobl ifanc yng Nghymru wedi mynegi'n gyson yr angen am well dealltwriaeth o'u hawliau o dan y gyfraith. Mewn amgylchedd cyfreithiol a chymdeithasol cynyddol gymhleth, mae mynediad at wybodaeth gyfreithiol gywir, sy'n briodol i oedran yn hanfodol ar gyfer dinasyddiaeth wybodus, i ddiogelu a grymuso.
Yng Nghanolfan Gyfreithiol y Plant Cymru rydym ar hyn o bryd yn darparu addysg gyfreithiol sy'n hygyrch i blant yng Nghymru drwy ein Hadnoddau Addysg Gyfreithiol. Mae'r adnoddau hyn wedi cael eu treialu gydag ysgol Pentrehafod ac ysgol yr Esgob Gore ac maent yn y broses o gael eu golygu. Bydd yr adnoddau terfynol yn cael eu cyhoeddi ar wefan Canolfan Gyfreithiol y Plant Cymru yn ddiweddarach yn y flwyddyn.
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am yr angen am addysg gyfreithiol gyhoeddus, gweler ein briff a newyddion.
Erthygl 13: Mae gen i'r hawl i gael gwybodaeth a rhannu fy safbwyntiau.
Bydd gan y plentyn hawl i ryddid mynegiant. Bydd yr hawl hon yn cynnwys rhyddid i geisio, cael a rhoi gwybodaeth a syniadau o bob math, ni waeth beth fo’r ffiniau, naill ai ar lafar, yn ysgrifenedig neu mewn print, ar ffurf celfyddyd, neu drwy unrhyw gyfrwng arall a ddewisir gan y plentyn
Troseddau Cyllyll yng Nghymru
Yn ei blog diweddar, meddai Dr Rhian Croke, Canolfan Gyfreithiol y Plant Cymru, 'Mae troseddau cyllyll yn fater hynod bryderus sy'n gofyn am ddull ystyriol, sy'n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth'. Mae ystadegau swyddogol diweddar yn dangos, er y gall sylw yn y cyfryngau awgrymu fel arall, bod troseddau cyllyll ymhlith plant yn gostwng. Dyma'r chweched flwyddyn yn olynol i ni weld gostyngiad. Bu gostyngiad o 6% yn nifer y troseddau cyllyll neu arfau ymosodol a gyflawnwyd gan blant (Cymru/Lloegr) yn y flwyddyn a ddaeth i ben ym mis Mawrth 2024 o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn flaenorol. Mae hefyd yn bwysig cydnabod bod mwyafrif y troseddau cyllyll yn cael eu cyflawni gan oedolion nid plant.
Yn ystod gwersi treialu Addysg Gyfreithiol, roedd yn amlwg nad dyma'r darlun sy'n cael ei bortreadu i bobl ifanc. Mae llawer o bobl ifanc yn cael eu gwybodaeth am droseddau cyllyll trwy’r prif gyfryngau neu gyfryngau cymdeithasol, lle mae'r mater yn aml yn cael ei orliwio. Mae rhai astudiaethau’n awgrymu y gallai ymgyrchoedd yn y cyfryngau greu mwy o ofn a chynyddu’r tebygolrwydd o blant yn cario cyllyll.
Doedd llawer o bobl ifanc ddim yn ymwybodol ei bod yn anghyfreithlon cario cyllell, ac roedd yn sioc iddynt ddeall na fyddai honni eu bod yn cario cyllell i amddiffyn eu hunain yn cael ei dderbyn gan lys cyfraith. Mae hyn eto, yn cryfhau ein galwad am Addysg Gyfreithiol i bobl ifanc yng Nghymru.
Erthygl 17: Mae gen i'r hawl i gael gwybodaeth mewn sawl ffordd, cyn belled â'i fod yn ddiogel.
(mynediad at wybodaeth o'r cyfryngau) Mae gan bob plentyn yr hawl i wybodaeth ddibynadwy o amrywiaeth o ffynonellau, a dylai llywodraethau annog y cyfryngau i ddarparu gwybodaeth y gall plant ei deall. Rhaid i lywodraethau helpu i amddiffyn plant rhag deunyddiau a allai wneud niwed iddynt
Noeth-chwilio Plant
I lawer, mae noeth-chwilio plant mewn gorsaf heddlu yn rhywbeth a welir ar sioe deledu fel Adolescence ar Netflix ac Eastenders ar BBC yn unig. Fodd bynnag, mae hyn yn realiti i lawer gormod o blant, ledled Cymru a’r DU.
Mae Canolfan Gyfreithiol y Plant Cymru wedi bod yn galw am wahardd noeth-chwilio plant, rydym wedi cynnal ymchwil i noeth-chwilio plant yng nghyd-destun Cymru ac mae ein hymchwil wedi cael ei drafod yn ddiweddar yn y Senedd.
Mewn adborth o sesiwn dreialu Addysg Gyfreithiol ddiweddar 'Cyswllt â'r Heddlu', pan ofynnwyd i un disgybl Blwyddyn 7 am 'Rywbeth a ddysgais yn y sesiwn heddiw', dyma a ysgrifennodd 'Gallwch gael eich ffrisgio heb ddillad,' gan ddangos y gall plant fod yn gwbl anymwybodol fod gan yr heddlu bwerau i'w noeth-chwilio.
Erthygl 40: Mae gen i'r hawl i gael fy nhrin fel plentyn os ydw i'n torri'r gyfraith
Mae Partïon Gwladwriaethau yn cydnabod yr hawl sydd gan bob plentyn yr honnir neu y cydnabyddir ei fod wedi torri’r gyfraith trosedd, neu y cyhuddir ef o wneud hynny, i gael ei drin mewn modd sy’n gyson â hybu ymdeimlad y plentyn o’i urddas a’i werth, sy’n atgyfnerthu parch y plentyn at hawliau dynol a rhyddid sylfaenol unigolion eraill sy’n cymryd i ystyriaeth oedran y plentyn a’r awydd i hybu’r cam o ailintegreiddio’r plentyn a bod y plentyn yn derbyn rôl adeiladol mewn cymdeithas.
Dull Seiliedig ar Hawliau Plant i Daclo Tlodi
Mae bron i draean o blant yn byw mewn tlodi yng Nghymru. Mae byw mewn tlodi yn parhau i gael effaith ddinistriol a pharhaol ar fywydau plant - ac mae'n fygythiad uniongyrchol i'w hawliau dynol sylfaenol.
Ym mis Mai, roeddem yn falch iawn o barhau i gydweithio i ymgorffori dull seiliedig ar hawliau plant yng ngwaith cyrff cyhoeddus, drwy gyd-gynnal gweminar ar Ddull Seiliedig ar Hawliau Plant i Daclo Tlodi, gyda'n cydweithwyr - Comisiynydd Plant Cymru, yr Arsyllfa ar Hawliau Dynol a Chyfiawnder Cymdeithasol.
Erthygl 27: Mae gen i'r hawl i gael cartref, bwyd a dillad priodol
Mae Partïon Gwladwriaethau yn cydnabod hawl pob plentyn i safon byw sy'n ddigonol ar gyfer datblygiad corfforol, meddyliol, ysbrydol, moesol a chymdeithasol y plentyn.
Gobeithio bod yr wybodaeth hon wedi bod yn ddefnyddiol i chi, a byddem yn croesawu unrhyw wybodaeth am ddigwyddiadau neu adnoddau sydd ar y gweill y gallwn eu rhannu ag ysgolion. Mae ein cylchlythyrau blaenorol ar gael yma: Hafan | Children's Legal Centre Wales (childrenslegalcentre.wales)
I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am y gyfraith yng Nghymru a sut mae hyn yn effeithio ar bobl ifanc, ewch i Ganolfan Gyfreithiol y Plant Cymru.
