“HEAR ME OUT!” - JUVENILE JUSTICE, PEACE and THE CHILD’S RIGHT TO BE HEARD IN ROMANIA AND NORWAY

Abstract

“If you want peace, work for justice.” – Pope Paul VI

This paper explores how the children’s right to be heard is implemented in the criminal proceedings in Romania and Norway. The judicial practices in the two countries are analysed in relation to four elements identified in the literature as relevant to the child’s right to be heard- space, voice, audience and influence. The two juvenile justice systems are then compared to each other, as well as to international best practices, with the final aim of identifying small-scale measures worth disseminating in Romania and Norway to strengthen the effectiveness of child’s right to be heard. The paper argues that a more effective implementation of the children’s right to be heard strengthen all the array of the children’s rights, makes the juvenile justice system more child-friendly and facilitates the transition from conflict and punitive justice towards positive peace.

Keywords: right of the child to be heard, juvenile justice, children’s rights, child-friendly justice