Children's Law Centre

29/10/2026

AI may be changing public services, but are children’s rights being protected?

Northern Ireland’s draft AI Strategy focuses on innovation and efficiency, but children and young people are largely absent from the conversation.

AI could influence decisions about children’s education, health, social care and justice. Without proper safeguards, these systems risk reinforcing discrimination, compromising privacy and making it harder for children and families to challenge unfair decisions.

In our response to the draft Strategy, CLC calls for a children’s rights based approach to AI, meaningful involvement of young people in shaping policy, and stronger safeguards wherever AI affects children’s lives.

Read our response on our website - https://buff.ly/OSyA5Sr

27/10/2026

27/10/2026

School behaviour is about more than discipline. It’s about children and their rights.

When children struggle in school, we need to understand why, not simply punish the behaviour. Unmet additional needs, bullying, anxiety and a lack of appropriate support can all play a part.

Every child has the right to education, dignity and to have their voice heard.

In our Behaviour in Schools Review, CLC calls for a rights based approach that puts early support, inclusion and children’s participation at the centre, alongside clear protections against exclusionary and restrictive practices.

Our response is now available on our website - https://buff.ly/WxjorN0

19/10/2026

Children should be able to learn in safety without fear or concern.

The reports of hoax bomb threats affecting schools across Northern Ireland will have caused understandable concern for children and young people, their families and school staff. Threats of this nature are entirely unacceptable.

While the threats are not being treated as viable by the PSNI, the disruption and anxiety they have caused are very real. Children and young people have a right to education and to feel safe in their school environment. Any action that undermines those rights or creates distress among pupils must be condemned.

For children, particularly those with anxiety, additional needs or previous experiences of trauma, incidents like this can have a long lasting impact on their sense of safety and wellbeing. It is important that children and young people are given clear, age-appropriate information, reassurance and support in the days ahead.

The Children's Law Centre urges those responsible to be held accountable and calls on all relevant agencies to continue working together to minimise disruption, provide reassurance and support affected children and young people.

The wellbeing of children and young people must remain at the centre of the response and clear protocols must be in place to effectively respond to incidents like this in the future.

10/10/2026

Busy Saturday session with Youth@CLC that finished off with creating this message for World Mental Health Day❤️‍🔥

Children and young people have the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including mental health. Cuts to children’s services, not listening to children and young people, and wider issues such as the cost-of-living, all have an impact on making this right a reality.

Today, Youth@CLC are asking for steps to help achieve change, such as:
- Providing adequate access to counselling services
- Reducing the stigma around mental health
- Encouraging young people to ask for support when they need it
- Listening to young people about their experiences

💚

28/09/2026

We were delighted to host the Child Law Network in Belfast last week for a CLN meeting, as well as our event 'Childhood on Trial', meetings with decision makers and a visit to the NI Assembly. Thank you to everyone who came over Family Rights Group Just for Kids Law Howard League for Penal Reform Youth Justice Legal Centre Children's Legal Centre Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

24/09/2026

Children's rights are under threat across these islands. That's why it's important to come together, share practices and develop solutions.

This week we were delighted to host the Child Law Network in Belfast for the very first time. As part of that we hosted an event, alongside the Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's University Belfast and the Ten is Too Young Coalition.

We looked at efforts to raise the age across the different jurisdictions, as well as ways to prevent children being caught in the criminal justice system from an early age.

CLC has worked tirelessly to raise the age of criminal responsibility and to bring Northern Ireland into step with the rest of Europe.

Read more about our event 'Childhood on Trial' at https://childrenslawcentre.org.uk/childhood-on-trial/

23/09/2026

There’s a huge amount more progress to be made to support children across the UK and Ireland.

Today we were delighted to host the Child Law Network in Belfast for the very first time, alongside the Centrre for Children’s Rights at Queen’s University Belfast and the Ten is Too Young Coalition, to discuss efforts to raise the age of criminal responsibility across the different jurisdictions. Thank you to everyone who attended and took part.

22/09/2026

How do we protect children’s personal data while respecting their rights?

Children’s personal data needs particular care. The UK GDPR includes specific provisions recognising children’s rights and the risks they can face when their personal information is processed.

Our upcoming training, GDPR & Children’s Rights: Protecting Privacy, Empowering Young People, will explore:

• Key data protection requirements and principles.
• Lawful basis for processing personal data.
• Practical steps towards GDPR compliance.
• Challenges for organisations working with children’s personal data.
• How to review your approach and identify areas for improvement.

Protecting children’s rights includes protecting their privacy and personal information. Understanding the law is an important part of making sure children’s rights are respected in practice.

The session will be led by Trevor Wright, Head of Corporate Services at Wellcome Trust, and is suitable both as an introduction to GDPR and as a refresher for those with existing knowledge.

Date: 21 October 2026 | 1.30–4.30pm
Location: In person at CLC or online

Book your place: https://buff.ly/53N5xiS

30/06/2026

The failure to amend the Justice Bill today to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland is deeply disappointing and a real missed opportunity to protect some of our most disadvantaged children and young people. It’s particularly deplorable that a Petition of Concern was used to undermine the democratic will of the NI Assembly.

At just ten years old, we continue to have one of the lowest ages in the world.