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Momodou
Denmark
11650 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Dec 2006 : 16:42:21
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CHILDREN’S ACT LAUNCHED
By Amie Sanneh
The Athorney General and Secretary of Stated for Justice, Kebba Sanyang on Monday launched the Children’s Act at t a ceremony held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.
The SOS for justice said the Children’s Act is an Act that sets out the Rights and Responsibilities of Children. He said the Act seeks to consolidate the laws relating to children and it also provides for the establishment of a children’s court. He further stated that the Act provides a criminal justice system for children.
He added that the enactment of the children’s Act in 2005 is a manifestation of the commitment of Government in domesticating the United Nations convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC), which was ratified on the 3rd of August 1990.
SOS Sanyang described the convention as a landmark international instrument that sets but a comprehensive vision of basis that any civilized nation must assure its children.
The SOS outlined the structure of the Act, which he said contains 242 substantive provisions dealing with children’s right.
He told the gathering that significant achievements in many aspects of the convention such as education, health and child welfare have been made.
Also speaking at the launching, the Chief Justice, Abdou Karim Sawage, said the children’s policy and children’s Act of 2005 speaks volumes of the steps taken to give meaning to children and matters relating to them.
The children’s Act he noted led to the establishment of the first Children’s Count at the Kanifing Magistrates Court. This court is devoted solely to issues relating to children and young persons and is designed to be user friendly, he said.
He said his office plans to provide a comprehensive training programme for members of the panel. Speaking earlier the UNICEF Representative, Cheryl Gregory Faye, said the enactment of the children’ Act makes the Gambia among few countries in the region that have fully harmonized their domestic laws with the CRC. The Act she said needs to be popularized in order to offer the legal protection its drafters envisaged. Madam Faye said all the procedures; miles and institutional mechanisms need to be in place in order to give full effect to the provisions of the Act. “There must be adequate budgetary allocations to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Act,” she said.
Source: Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue NO. 112/2006, 11-12 December, 2006
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