Coram Children’s Legal Centre calls for upheaval to children’s court system after The Children Act film adaptation

Coram Children’s Legal Centre, one of the UK’s first children’s charities, has called for the mandatory provision of an independent advocate enshrined in law for all children and young people receiving or seeking care or support from the state.

The recent film release of The Children Act starring Emma Thompson as a High Court judge has brought attention to the difficult decisions regularly faced by family judges, and the ways in which children are represented in court. Ian McEwan’s novel adaptation explores the complex contexts and circumstances in which decisions about children’s welfare are made, with Thompson’s character presiding over a life-or-death case concerning a teenage Jehovah’s Witness.

Kamena Doling, group head of policy and public affairs at Coram comments: “This country has a strong legal framework for the protection and support of children and young people, but if they are unable actually to enforce their rights then those rights are worth little more than the paper they are written on. Key decisions about a child’s future can be made without their views being put forward, or all the relevant information being considered.

“Coram believes that in all important decisions concerning children (which are made by public bodies or a judicial processes), children should have an appropriate opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.”

Find out more about Coram Children's Legal Centre's work here.