Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

• To supplement the student’s knowledge and skills in a way that may form part of the student’s choice of educational and professional profile

Learning objectives

Knowledge

• International legal sources in relation to children's rights
  • International conventions dealing with children's rights
  • Application and analysis of case law from the European Court of Human Rights
  • Application and analysis of decisions from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child International legal literature
  • National legislation regarding different child law-related issues
• Basic principles in relation to children's rights, including
  • The best interest of the child
  • The principle of non-discrimination
  • The child's right to protection and care
  • The child's right to life and development
  • The principle of participation
• General knowledge of the international development in children’s rights
• Basic terms in relation to children's rights
• Current challenges and issues in the field of child welfare
• International bodies dealing with children's rights

Skills

• Master the law, terminology and concepts of the field
• Independently locate relevant legal sources in the field and applying them
• Identify legal problems and risks  in relation to children's rights, including the legal consequences of violation
• Present and explain an analysis of a theoretical or practical problem in a convincing and appropriate manner

Competences

• Independently identifying legal issues in the field of children's rights
• Apply relevant international and national legal sources as well as basic principles and concepts to address issues in the area
• Being able to work problem oriented be independently composing a problem and working with it in a analytical and structured way
• The ability to assess and analyse rules and consequences of the rules
• Disseminate research-based knowledge and discuss scientific issues in the field of child-law based on children's rights

Type of instruction

• Lectures

Extent and expected workload

• 270 hours

Exam

Exams

Additional information

• The module is open to students from Law and Business Law

Child-law deals with issues that specifically concern children's legal position, often based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This means that the subject passes across different areas of law and focuses on the influence of international law on national law enforcement. Through six workshops, the students will work with practical and theoretical issues in identifying children's rights and how they are implemented in practice. The themes are frequently based on current issues regarding children and young people's meeting with the authorities. For instance concerning integration, crime, imprisonment, violation or abuse or other relevant problems.  In connection to this the students will also deal with questions about the legal consequences of a possible breach of children's rights. The first workshop is an introduction to the subject and a presentation of the essential sources of law and the fundamental principles. The following workshops will be based on issues in different areas of law, where the students work on defining the criteria that lie in the principles of the child's best interest, non-discrimination and participation. The six workshops are thematically dealing with the following subjects:

• Method

• Criminal law

• Refugee law

• Social welfare law

• School law

• Healthcare law

The individual workshop will begin with a presentation, which presents a number of basic challenges in relation to children's rights in the specific area. After the presentation, the students will be working on these issues more closely in groups. This will be facilitated by Anne Mørk Pedersen or Hanne Hartoft, who will supervise and guide the students. There will be presentations, discussions and case-based group work.