The Foundation hosted the event with its partner, the Sri Lanka Judges’ Institute
A roundtable discussion was held on 16 September 2020 with representatives from the Department of Probation and Child Care Services of Sri Lanka and the Max Planck Foundation with its 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 second of five consultations to be held with actors of the Sri Lankan justice system on this topic, the findings of which will contribute to the development of Best Practice Guidelines on children interacting with the justice system in Sri Lanka. The event was held via video conference and Honourable Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, and one of the Foundation’s Managing Directors made the opening remarks.
This was followed by discussions focusing on the mandate of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services. The consultation explored the scope of the Department’s mandate and the measures Probation Officers use to execute this mandate in relation to children interacting with the justice system. The programme continued with topics including 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 own experience and lessons learned in the course of their work during a lively and informative discussion of best practices in Sri Lanka.
To conclude, 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 Department of Probation and Child Care Services for their contribution.
Future consultations will be held with members of the Judiciary 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”.