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Author: Sam Nelson

CLC Presents Evidence to the Committee for Communities on the Children’s Services Co‑operation Act

12 March 2026
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

12 March 2026

The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) has presented evidence to the NI Assembly Committee for Communities as part of its scrutiny of the implementation of the Children’s Services Co‑operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (CSCA).

During the session, CLC outlined the significant gap between the promise of the CSCA and the practical reality experienced by children and young people a decade after the legislation was enacted. While there has been some progress, including the adoption of a children and young people’s strategy and examples of effective joint working, CLC maintains that these developments are not yet embedded as a consistent, system‑wide approach to improving well‑being.

CLC’s Written Evidence Highlights Several Key Issues:

Read the Briefing

Lack of consistent, outcomes‑focused co‑operation

Reports on the operation of the Act show that cross‑departmental co‑operation is still often ad hoc, reactive and not clearly driven by the statutory duty set out in the CSCA.

Insufficient measurement of impact on children’s well‑being

Despite the intent of the Act, government has yet to demonstrate, through data, shared metrics or transparent reporting, how children’s well‑being has tangibly improved. The system remains stronger on describing activity than evidencing outcomes.

Barriers to pooling resources and aligning systems

Departments remain unclear or hesitant about the CSCA’s enabling powers and opportunities for deeper collaboration are being missed. Guidance exists, but it is under used in practice.

Need for meaningful engagement with children and young people

Comments from young people reinforce that children do not feel genuinely involved in shaping decisions that affect them. Participation remains inconsistent and often tokenistic.

What’s Next for the Children’s Services Co-operation Act?

The second decade of the CSCA must focus on implementation, measurement and accountability, with a renewed commitment to co‑operation rooted in children’s rights. This includes:

  • Establishing shared indicators of well‑being
  • Transparent data collection
  • Stable long‑term planning
  • Co‑designing improvements with children and families.

CLC will continue to work with decision makers, duty bearers and young people to ensure the Act reaches its full potential as a system wide driver for improving the lives of all children and young people in Northern Ireland.

Concerns Raised Around UK Government’s Latest Immigration Proposals

2 March 2026
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

02 March 2026

The Children’s Law Centre and South Tyrone Empowerment Programme (STEP) have jointly responded to the UK Government’s consultation on A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, raising serious concerns about the impact of the proposals on children and families.

Read the Response

In responding, the organisations describe the government’s proposals as “wrong, harmful and dangerous” and call for them to be withdrawn in their entirety.

CLC and STEP have warned that the proposals fail to meaningfully consider the UK’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The principle that the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration is not reflected in measures that would:

  • Lengthen and prolong routes to settlement for many families, potentially across the entirety of a child’s childhood;
  • Introduce or expand “no recourse to public funds” conditions, increasing child poverty and homelessness;
  • Restrict family reunion routes;
  • Apply changes retrospectively, penalising families for having lawfully accessed support; and
  • Create additional barriers to children registering as British citizens.

Deirdre McAliskey, Policy and Engagement Manager at STEP said: “We firmly reject the concept of ‘earned settlement’. Tying settlement to income levels, volunteering requirements or past use of public funds risks creating a discriminatory, two-tier system that disproportionately harms children from low-income households, single-parent families and those with insecure immigration status.

“Children have no control over their family’s income, migration journey or immigration applications, yet would bear the long-term consequences of extended insecurity and restricted access to support.

“Settlement is not a reward to be earned but a necessary foundation for safety, stability and full participation in society.”

Fergal McFerran, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Children’s Law Centre said: “Longer and more complex routes to settlement such as those proposed by the UK Government will increase the risk of destitution, homelessness and exploitation.

“We urge the government to abandon the current proposals and replace them with fair and safe processes that uphold children’s rights and provide clear, timely routes to settlement. Fairness must mean protecting children from poverty, insecurity and discrimination – not embedding those risks into law.

“Children seeking safety in the UK deserve stability and dignity, not a childhood defined by uncertainty.”

Read the Response

Ten is Too Young Coalition Welcomes Tabling of Amendment to Raise the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility to 16

27 February 2026
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News, Press Release

26 February 2026

The Ten is Too Young Coalition has welcomed the tabling of an amendment to the Justice Bill that would raise Northern Ireland’s minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from 10 to 16 years old, without exception.

The Coalition has once again reiterated its position that at 10 years old, Northern Ireland’s age of criminal responsibility is too young. It said the latest amendment that has been tabled is the most evidence-based and rights compliant, and marks an historic opportunity to finally end Northern Ireland’s status as having one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world.

For more than 30 years, children’s organisations, experts in child development and human rights bodies have been calling for meaningful reform, with victims’ advocates now also joining the calls. The support to raise the age is now widespread.

Chris Quinn, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, said: “We strongly welcome the tabling of the amendment setting the age at 16 with no exceptions.

“For over 30 years, organisations working with children have been clear, Northern Ireland’s current age of 10 is indefensible. It is out of step with international standards, out of step with science and out of step with the values we claim to hold about protecting children.

“This is a once in a generation chance to make our justice system fairer, safer and more effective. We cannot look back in years to come and realise we missed it.”

Fergal McFerran, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Children’s Law Centre, said: “Raising the age of criminal responsibility to 16 is not only the most rights compliant option – it is the approach that provides the best opportunity to deliver better outcomes for children, families and communities.

“Over a decade of scientific evidence tells us that children under 16 simply do not have the cognitive maturity to be held criminally responsible in the same way as adults. Criminalising them at 10 years old is wholly inconsistent with what we know about child development, and how we treat children with respect to other laws.

“What’s more, criminalising children simply doesn’t work. We know that 10 is too young, and MLAs now need to grasp this opportunity to support the most child rights compliant change to legislation as possible.”

The Ten is Too Young Coalition stressed that while it welcomes all efforts to raise the age, 16 without exceptions is the only option fully aligned with international children’s rights standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 24, which encourages states to move towards 15 or 16 in line with developmental science.

The Coalition also cautioned against introducing exceptions for certain offences, citing clear UN guidance that exceptions are not grounded in evidence and undermine the purpose of the reform.

The Ten is Too Young Coalition is urging all MLAs to:

  • Recognise that 10 is too young, and that criminalising children does not work.
  • Maximise this opportunity by supporting the strongest amendment available.
  • Recognise that children in conflict with the law are overwhelmingly vulnerable children, and those in need.
  • Prioritise approaches that reduce reoffending, prevent future victims and give children the chance to turn their lives around.

With multiple amendments now tabled – seeking to set the age at 12 in some cases, 14 in some cases, and most recently to 16 – the Coalition is urging MLAs to ensure this long overdue issue receives full and serious debate in the Assembly chamber.

Protecting Children’s Right to Healthcare

3 February 2026
Sam Nelson
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Categories: Press Release

The Children’s Law Centre is deeply concerned by the findings of the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman’s Overview Report on the removal of patients from GP practice lists. The report makes clear that inappropriate deregistration is occurring in a range of circumstances, including removals without warning, removals linked to complaints and the automatic removal of family members, all of which breach statutory processes and professional guidance.

John O’Doherty, CEO at the Children’s Law Centre commented: “Access to primary healthcare is a fundamental right for every child. Ensuring that children can register with and remain registered with a GP is essential for safeguarding their health, wellbeing, and development. Losing access to primary care, even temporarily, can place children at immediate risk, particularly those with disabilities, long‑term conditions, mental ill-health or complex needs.

“The Northern Ireland health service and GP practices have a clear legal duty to follow the statutory procedures set out in the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations (NI) 2004, including requirements for communication, warnings, verification, and proportionality before any removal takes place. The Ombudsman’s findings show that these safeguards are not consistently being applied, leading to avoidable harm, distress, and barriers to accessing essential healthcare.

“Children must never lose access to their GP because of administrative failings, misunderstandings, or actions taken against another family member. Professional guidance is explicit that relatives should not be removed solely due to another person’s behaviour.

“The Children’s Law Centre therefore calls on the Department of Health, GP practices and the Business Services Organisation to urgently strengthen guidance, verification processes and oversight, and to introduce an independent review mechanism for removal decisions, as recommended by the Ombudsman.

“Every child has the right to timely, accessible, and continuous healthcare. This right must be protected in practice, without exception.”

10 is Too Young Coalition Launches Renewed Calls for Increase in Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility

2 February 2026
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

02 February 2026

At 10 years of age, Northern Ireland (NI) has one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world. Despite repeated, longstanding calls, internationally and nationally, no legislative progress has been made.

On Thursday 29th January, the 10 is too Young coalition, published their latest joint briefing, providing the evidence for raising the age in NI to 16, with no exceptions, holding a briefing event for stakeholders and organisations on why this must be raised as a matter of urgency, and encouraging organisations to support this key change.

The group, made up of  Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), the Children’s Law Centre, Include Youth, Niacro, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) and the Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC) have said that the Justice Bill presents the opportunity to finally deliver reform that has been promised, consulted on and supported for well over a decade. Failing to act now would mean knowingly continuing a system that does not wholly work in the best interests of our children and young people.

The 10 is too Young Coalition is encouraging Members of the NI Assembly to support an amendment to the Justice Bill to raise the age, with no exceptions, as a necessary, proportionate and principled reform to our justice system.

The briefing paper published is now available to download.

DOWNLOAD THE BRIEFING