Children's Rights Alliance launch Know Your Rights, a comprehensive information guide for children and young people about their legal rights

The Children’s Rights Alliance, today (26.11.19) launched the new Know Your Rights Guide, a comprehensive information guide for children and young people about their legal rights and entitlements in Ireland. A panel of young people came together to help the Alliance launch the guide that has been written and designed in consultation with youth groups.

Speaking at the launch, Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “One of our primary focuses over the last three years has been looking at children’s access to information and advice about the rights and protections they have under Irish law. We know through our helpline that this is not always easy to find or easy to understand. Children and young people have contacted us directly with questions about their rights, with legal issues they do not understand and with uncertainty about where to go to for help. We’ve also heard from parents and guardians who are struggling to get clarity on a legal issue or how best to advocate on behalf of a child or young person.

We developed the Know Your Rights Guide to help bridge that gap. We want to inform children and young people about their rights but do so in a way that they can understand and engage with. We have also included sections specifically for parents and guardians to clearly state what a young person’s rights are under Irish law.”

The Know Your Rights Guide contains information across nine key areas:
• Equal treatment
• Education
• Health
• Protection from harm
• Rights in the family
• Immigration
• Rights in dealing with criminal law and the Gardai
• Online rights
• Right to shelter.

Tanya Ward continued, “The launch of Know Your Rights comes at important time. 2019 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A progressive treaty that called for children’s rights to be recognised and protected. But we must acknowledge that this is a continuous movement not just a moment in time. We must continue to encourage Government and teachers and lawyers, to listen to the voice of children and young people so that all children are protected, nurtured and empowered.

Last year we established a helpline and free legal advice clinics to ensure that young people had access to the legal advice they needed, regardless of their situation or location. The launch of Know Your Rights is the next step in furthering children and young people’s access to justice. We hope that the guide will become a valuable resource for young people as well as parents, teachers and other mentors in a child’s life, to empower them with the knowledge and the avenues to support that will help ensure their rights are realised.”

ENDS
Contact: Emma Archbold, Children’s Rights Alliance, Tel: 01-662 9400 / 0879971410, Email: emma.archbold@childrensrights.ie

Notes to Editor:
Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance is available for interview.
Julie Ahern, Access to Justice Manager at the Children’s Rights Alliance is available for interview.
Panel speakers may be available on request.

About the Children’s Rights Alliance

• Founded in 1995, the Children’s Rights Alliance unites over 100 members working together to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child. Further information is available at: www.childrensrights.ie or on Twitter, @ChildRightsIRL.
• The full guide will be available to download from the Children’s Rights Alliance website at 10.00am on Tuesday 26 November www.childrensrights.ie.
• The Children’s Rights Alliance Helpline is open Mondays 10am to 2pm and Wednesdays 2pm to 7pm. If you have are looking for legal information or advice, please contact us on 01 902 0494 or email help@childrensrights.ie
• #KnowYourRights