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Children’s Law Centre Appoints John O’Doherty as New CEO

28 May 2025
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

28 May 2025

The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) is pleased to announce the appointment of John O’Doherty as its new Chief Executive Officer. John will take up the role in August 2025. The appointment follows the news that Paddy Kelly, the Centre’s founding Director of over 27 years, will step down this summer.

John O’Doherty, who comes with years of extensive experience in leading an NGO and working as a leading human rights defender, will lead CLC in the next phase of its work and development.

Commenting on the announcement, outgoing Director, Paddy Kelly, said: “It has been a huge privilege to lead the Children’s Law Centre for over 27 years. In that time, we have secured major protections in children’s rights and changed the lives of tens of thousands of children and young people directly through advice, legal representation and advocacy.

“I am delighted to be handing over the reins of CLC to John. I have no doubt that he will successfully lead the organisation in the next stage of its work to vindicate the rights of children. He brings years of experience of working in the voluntary sector, including advocating for the realisation of rights. He will bring drive and energy to the work of advancing children’s rights and I’m confident he will make a significant impact in the growth and development of the organisation.”

John O’Doherty will be joining the Children’s Law Centre having worked for the past two years as the Director of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the Community Foundation Northern Ireland. Previous to that, he worked for 14 years as Director of The Rainbow Project. His appointment comes after a competitive open recruitment exercise, undertaken by the Centre’s Board of Trustees, supported by CO3’s Engage Executive Talent.

The Board and staff at CLC would like to congratulate John on his appointment and look forward to working with him to secure and vindicate the rights of all children and young people in Northern Ireland.

CLC Gives Evidence on Restrictive Practices in Education Settings

22 May 2025
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

22 May 2025

The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) presented evidence to the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Education Committee, calling for urgent legislative reform to end the harmful use of restrictive practices – including restraint and seclusion – in education settings.

Watch the Full Committee Session

The evidence session, supported by a detailed written briefing, highlights how current practices in some education settings are breaching children’s human rights and disproportionately harming disabled children, particularly those with autism, intellectual disability and communication difficulties.

The evidence, presented by Rachel Hogan, SEND Specialist Legal Adviser at CLC, strongly asserted that no child should be restrained in an education setting without strict legal safeguards and that no child should be subjected to seclusion in an education setting.

Yet, in Northern Ireland, outdated legislation remains in force and the statutory guidance which had been promised for the protection of children from harm has not been finalised. This creates a dangerous vacuum and places the most vulnerable pupils at serious risk of avoidable harm as well as leaving staff who support them without essential knowledge and skills to enable child rights compliant practice.

Read the Written Briefing

The CLC written briefing outlines a number of key concerns:

  • Article 4 of the Education (NI) Order 1998, which empowers staff to use “reasonable force” on children in a range of circumstances, including for the maintenance of order and discipline, is outdated and incompatible with equality and human rights standards.
  • There is a lack of clarity around the banning of seclusion in all education settings.
  • There is no mandatory training for school staff on how to minimise and eliminate restrictive practices.
  • NI remains behind other jurisdictions, despite repeated calls for action from parents, professionals and international rights bodies such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities.

The Children’s Law Centre is urging the Department of Education to:

  • Immediately repeal Article 4 of the 1998 Order and introduce children’s human rights-based legislation and guidance.
  • Ban seclusion outright in all education settings.
  • Ensure mandatory, standardised training for all school staff.
  • Implement clear recording, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
  • Work with the Department of Health to ensure joined-up, cross-departmental policy and guidance.

Every child has the right to feel safe, supported and respected in education regardless of their disabilities or other protected equality characteristics. Legislative reform is long overdue. Without it, children’s rights will continue to be violated and staff left unsupported.

Read the BBC NI News Coverage

Children’s Law Centre Annual Lecture Underscores Importance of ECHR in Protecting Children’s Rights

6 May 2025
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

06 May 2025

The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) Annual Lecture 2025 was held in the Old Bar Library at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, with the keynote address being delivered by former President and Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Síofra O’Leary. The lecture explored the role of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in protecting the rights and voices of children.

Watch the Lecture

In her address, titled Children’s Voices and the Law: Reflections on the Role and Contribution of the ECHR, Judge O’Leary outlined how Strasbourg case law has evolved to better reflect the needs, rights and participation of children, despite the Convention’s original adult-focused framing.

Drawing on landmark judgments, Judge O’Leary examined key issues such as surrogacy, childcare and adoption, domestic violence, legal representation, and more recent climate change cases. She emphasised that children must be treated as rights holders, not bystanders, and underscored the responsibility of states to ensure child-friendly justice systems.

Judge O’Leary also reflected on the continued important role of the ECHR, particularly in the context of peace and prosperity, as well as the positive role of the UK judiciary in developing convention rights and continuing domestic case law relating to the Human Rights Act 1998.

Download the Lecture Notes

Speaking after the event, Children’s Law Centre Director Paddy Kelly said: “Twenty five years on from the Human Rights Act coming into force it is important to not only reflect on how much has changed and how children’s rights are better protected in law, policy and practice and the important role the European Court of Human Rights has played in securing those rights. But also, to reflect on what remains outstanding and how, in challenging times, we can best secure what has been achieved and ensure the onward progress of protecting the rights of our most vulnerable citizens.

“It was a privilege to have Judge O’Leary outline so eloquently the continued important role that the Convention and the European Court of Human Rights plays in protecting the rights of children and young people.”

Children’s Law Centre Calls for Urgent Amendments to the Justice Bill

27 March 2025
Sam Nelson
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Categories: News

27 March 2025

The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) has presented evidence to the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Justice, calling for critical amendments to the Justice Bill to ensure that children’s rights are fully protected within the justice system.

Watch CLC Present to the Committee

In a written submission, CLC called for two key amendments to implement long overdue children’s rights safeguards. The submission then looks at clause by clause detail on part 2 of the Bill, relating to bail, remand and custody arrangements for children.

Read the Written Submission

Key Amendments Urged by CLC

CLC’s evidence highlights two priority areas requiring amendments:

  1. Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility – Northern Ireland’s current age of criminal responsibility remains one of the lowest in the world at just 10 years old. CLC strongly advocates for this to be raised to 16, aligning with international human rights standards and ensuring a child centred approach to justice.
  2. Ending the Legal Defence of ‘Reasonable Punishment’ – The Bill presents an opportunity to remove the outdated defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ in respect of common assault in the home. CLC argues that children should have the same legal protections from violence as adults, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Failing Children in Need: Bail and Accommodation Issues

Beyond these critical amendments, the CLC submission also highlights serious failings in the current system regarding bail and accommodation:

  • Children Held in Custody Due to Lack of Accommodation – The evidence outlines cases where children granted bail remain in custody for extended periods due to the failure of Health Trust’s to provide children with a bail address. This violates their rights and may result in them spending longer in custody than if they had been given a custodial determination.
  • Children with Additional Needs and Vulnerabilities – The evidence highlights instances where children with additional needs and vulnerabilities are placed in unsuitable settings where their needs are not met. This can result in inappropriate police intervention and children without capacity being placed in justice settings.
  • Flawed Bail Provisions – The Bill fails to properly safeguard children’s rights when bail conditions are set. CLC argues, in line with children’s rights standards, that there should be a presumption of bail without conditions for children.
Read the Submission

CLC Urges Immediate Action

Ahead of presenting to the committee, Fergal McFerran, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at CLC, said:

“The Justice Bill represents a vital opportunity to bring Northern Ireland’s youth justice system up to date with ongoing best practice, and in line with international human rights standards. However, without critical amendments, it risks failing the most vulnerable children in our society. No child should be criminalised at ten years old, nor should a child remain in custody simply because they have nowhere else to go.

“The Bill also provides an opportunity to finally grant children the same protection from violence to that afforded to adults. MLA’s cannot miss this opportunity to join the many other jurisdictions across the world who have ended corporal punishment for children in all settings.”

Watch the Evidence Session

CLC calls on MLAs to act decisively and ensure that the Bill prioritises children’s rights and best interests. The organisation will continue to engage with the Committee for Justice and a wide range of MLAs as the Bill progresses, including further commentary on other parts of the Bill as introduced in due course.

Blog: ‘Nothing About Us, Without Us’

23 March 2025
Sam Nelson
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Categories: Blog, News

23 March 2025

In our latest blog, VOYPIC Young Rep, Michelle Chapman, highlights her work representing Northern Ireland at the 28th Annual Conference of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children.

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Written by Michelle Chapman
VOYPIC Young Rep

I am a VOYPIC Young Rep and in September 2024 I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Helsinki, Finland, to represent Northern Ireland at the 28th Annual Conference of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC). The theme of the conference was the rights of children in alternative care, which is something important to me because I’ve grown up in care myself.

I was part of the European Network of Young Advisors (ENYA); a group of young people from across Europe who came together to make sure our voices and experiences were included in big conversations about care.

Preparing to Represent Northern Ireland

Before heading to Helsinki, I worked with NICCY and other young people with care experience, to talk about what’s working and what’s not in the care system in Northern Ireland. We discussed things like stability in placements, the importance of feeling listened to, the need for all adults who work with children and young people in care to be properly trained and supported, as well as the support needed when you leave care. It was important to me that I wasn’t just sharing my own views but also representing my friends and other care-experienced young people back home.

We travelled to Bratislava in July, with Laura from NICCY and Brenda from VOYPIC supporting us. Brandan (another VOYPIC Young Rep) and I shared our experiences of care in Northern Ireland and got to meet other Young Advisors from different countries, and learn about alternative care across Europe. It was eye-opening to hear that a lot of us faced the same issues, no matter where we were from.

One of the recommendations that I made at the Forum went on to be included in the final list of recommendations presented to ENOC.  This was “nothing about us, without us”.  This is something that is very important not only to me, but to the young people from Northern Ireland I was representing. 

I am a VOYPIC Young Rep and through this role I am lucky enough to have opportunities where I am part of ensuring that our voices are at the heart of decisions made about our lives.  VOYPIC stands for Voice of Young People in Care, and including young people’s voices is at the heart of everything VOYPIC does.  So many people at the conference wanted to know more about VOYPIC and the work it does, as they would love to have an organisation like VOYPIC in their country.  It made me realise that I’m lucky to have VOYPIC and all of the positive relationships I have made since I became involved with them a few years ago.

Taking the stage in Helsinki

Brenda, from VOYPIC, and I travelled to the ENOC conference in Helsinki with Laura from NICCY again, but we were also joined by Joanne from NICCY as well as Chris Quinn, the Children’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland.  I got on really well with everyone on the trip and loved the craic, even with all the cringey dad jokes, Christopher!

Walking into the conference was a bit overwhelming at first, but as soon as I saw our wee clan I felt more at ease. I knew they were here for me and I had worked with Brenda on preparing what I was going to say, so I felt ready for my role on the panel, and presenting my part of the presentation myself and the other Young Advisors prepared.

I presented part of the quiz, where we asked the audience- made up of ombudspersons, policymakers, and professionals who work with children in care- to stand up if they agreed with the statements we made.  A lot of people came up to me afterwards and complimented me on the quiz and how I brought my personality and humour into it, which really made it memorable for them and helped get our message across.

Learning and Looking Ahead

Being part of this conference made me realise how many people actually want to make things better for children and young people in alternative care. I also learned so much from hearing about care systems in other countries.

One of the biggest things I’ll take away from this experience is confidence. On our way home, Chris asked me what my takeaway was? I said that I realised I am capable of a lot more than I thought I was.

I’m so grateful to NICCY for the opportunity and to VOYPIC for supporting me on this journey, especially Brenda from VOYPIC, who traveled with me. Brenda grew up in care too, and having her there made a huge difference. She understood how I was feeling and reminded me that I deserved to be in that room, speaking up for myself and others.

Final Thoughts

Going to Helsinki was an experience I’ll never forget. It showed me that young people in care aren’t just statistics— we have real opinions, real experiences, and real solutions. We just need more people to listen.

It wasn’t all work either! I made some brilliant memories and had great craic on both trips with treasure hunts, sightseeing, swims in sea pools and my infamous napkin boats at our dinner with the Ombudspeople in Helsinki as well.

At the VOYPIC Care Day Awards, I was lucky enough to win the Community Champion award for my contribution to the care experienced community, for my role on the ENYA forum and at the ENOC conference.

I hope that the conversations we had at ENOC lead to real change, not just in Northern Ireland but across Europe. And I hope that more young people like me get the chance to speak up, because when we do, amazing things can happen.