A series of lectures were given by UNICEF international expert on justice for children - Francis Sheahan

In the course of the series of lectures, which lasted from May 25 to May 27 and were dedicated to the topic of Children’s access to justice, the students of the faculty of International law of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy had the chance to learn about international practice, study legal cases recognized globally and share their views on international legislative acts on Children’s rights.

The lectures covered various topics, such as the effects of the brain development on crimes committed by children; crimes committed against children, including physical and emotional abuse, neglect; the Juvenile laws of the countries around the world and how effective they are; the progress made by Uzbekistan in recent years and the room for improvement.

The three lectures were named as follows: “Access to justice for and with children” (May 25), “Access to justice for child victims and witnesses” (May 26) and “Access to justice for children in conflict with the law” (May 27). Before the guest lecture series started the head of the Legal Clinic under UWED, Ziyodullo Ubaydullaev thanked Francis Sheahan for conducting the series and giving students an insight into challenges to children’s rights today. Francis Sheahan is a UK-qualified lawyer with over 17 years’ experience working on the reform of criminal justice and prison systems, child rights governance and children’s rights and business issues. The lectures were conducted within the framework of the UNICEF program to continue supporting legal education and advanced training of lawyers, representing the rights of children in Uzbekistan.

Throughout the three days of lectures, Francis Sheahan gave presentations that deepened the knowledge of the students on Justice for Children. The participants also got to review and analyze international cases and discussed ways of improving children’s access to justice systems. The participants of the “Street Law” project of the Legal Clinic shared their experience and opinions with the guest lecturer. Francis Sheahan acknowledged that Uzbekistan is moving in the right direction on protecting the rights of the children, and the presence of such projects as “Street Law” is proof that society is realizing the importance of knowing one’s rights. Specifically, the “Street Law” project focuses on educating the younger generation on their rights and bodies of the government that are in charge of protecting them, and many more.

When the lectures ended on May 27, the students expressed their gratitude to Francis Sheahan for giving such insightful lectures and sharing the experience of the UK. The guest lecturer noted that the work the Legal Clinic is carrying out in the direction of children’s rights protection is impressive and expressed her hope to visit the university in person and conduct more interactive sessions with the students.