The consultation was held by the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute and the Foundation
On 26 August 2020, a roundtable discussion was held with representatives from the National Child Protection Authority of Sri Lanka and the Max Planck Foundation with their local partner, the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute. The discussion was focused on challenges and best practices in relation to children interacting with the justice system and was held via video conference. This is the first of five consultations to be held with actors of the Sri Lankan justice system on this topic, of which the findings will contribute to the development of Best Practice Guidelines.
After opening remarks by Supreme Court Justice, Shiranee Tilakawardane (rtd), and the Foundation’s Country Manager, discussion centred on the mandate of the National Child Protection Authority. The consultation explored the role of the authority in relation to children in need of protection and children in conflict with the law. The programme continued with a discussion on the topics of children in need of protection, children in alternative care, child victims and witnesses, and children in conflict with the law. Throughout the event participants contributed their expertise and experience during a lively and informative discussion of best practices in Sri Lanka.
To conclude the discussion, Honourable Judge Anushka Senevirathna, Magistrate Judge and Academic Coordinator of the Sri Lanka Judge’s Institute shared the closing address and expressed gratitude to the representatives of the National Child Protection Authority for their contribution to the consultation.
Future consultations will be held with members of the Judiciary, Probation Officers and Judicial Medical Officers, after which a multi-stakeholder roundtable discussion will be held. The findings of these consultations will contribute to the development of Best Practice Guidelines to advance the protection of children interacting with the justice of Sri Lanka.
The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office under the project “Capacity Building for Judges and Lawyers in Sri Lanka”.