A third of humanity—those aged below 18 years—are generally defined under the law as children. The world's most widely ratified treaty is the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Other, wide-ranging legal instruments also focus on children, at the international, regional, and national levels. Moreover, child-related laws also affect all adults, in one way or another. For these and other reasons, this area of law is of enormous legal and social importance.
This module explores issues and instruments concerning children across a variety of legal areas, ranging from constitutional, criminal, medical, and labour law to education, family, human rights, and international humanitarian law, among others.
Our discussions draw not only on legal sources but also on sociological, anthropological, historical, and philosophical studies of childhood, as well as postcolonial, feminist, queer, and other critical schools of thought. This interdisciplinary and critical learning experience will equip students with analytical skills valuable for other areas of study and practice.