Children’s rights – Flattering to deceive? [2014] CFLQ 51

Keywords: Children – children’s rights – theoretical concepts – Convention on the Rights of the Child – European Convention on Human Rights, Article 3 – paramountcy – children’s welfare – children’s best interests

Today, it is unlikely that articles discussing issues relating to children would be submitted to the Child and Family Law Quarterly without any mention of children’s rights. Twenty-five years ago when the journal was first established, it was a very different matter. We have undoubtedly made enormous strides over the last 25 years in our attitude to this topic. Nevertheless, in this article I explore whether the concept of children’s rights is being interpreted in a way that truly fulfils the expectations normally associated with the term ‘rights’.

The full version of this article appears in issue 1 of 2014 of Child and Family Law Quarterly.