Welcome to our Children’s Law Hub!

Our Children’s Law Hub is an online space for children, young people and their families to find out information on young people’s rights.

How can we help you?

We can help you understand your rights and stand up for what’s fair!

Free legal information and advice

At CLM, we offer legal information and advice for children and young people.

We can advise you on LGBTI+ rights, disability rights, problems at school like suspension or expulsion, discrimination, housing issues, environmental rights and more.

To get free legal advice on your rights, you can fill out our online booking form by clicking here or phone us on 01 847 7804.

Our thanks to the RTE Toy Show Appeal for funding the development of this service.

CLM and EPIC (Empowering People in Care) free legal advice clinic

We also work in partnership with EPIC to provide dedicated free legal advice clinics for children and young people in care, in aftercare or with care experience.

To book an appointment for this clinic, please contact EPIC on 01 872 7661.

Training and education

We offer information talks and training for young people, families and organisations on the law as it affects children and young people.

If you would like to learn more about how we can support you or your organisation through information talks or training, please email education@communitylawandmediation.ie or phone us on 01 847 7804.

What are the Rights of the Child?

Children and young people have a unique set of rights which are set out in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). In 1992, Ireland ratified the UNCRC and in doing so committed to ensuring that these rights are a reality for all children and young people under the age of 18. The past decade has seen further changes relating to the rights of children in the Irish constitution and in legislation.

Take a look at the UN’s child-friendly graphic to see what some of these rights are!

Children and young people have rights in relation to everything from health, housing, equality, environment and education. Whether you are having difficulty with school (for example school admissions, suspension or expulsion or additional needs supports), or you are in care or have been treated unfairly by a State body, you have legal rights that you might want to get advice about.

Can you help us?

We are currently carrying out research into the unmet legal need of children and young people in Ireland. Watch this space for further information on this project, but in the meantime, we would love to hear from you, your family or groups in your community in relation to the barriers and difficulties that children and young people are experiencing in their lives.

If you would like to share your perspective, please email communications@communitylawandmediation.ie or phone 01 847 7804.

If you have any questions which are not addressed above, you can call us on 01 847 7804 to talk to our team.

Legal Advocacy in Action

Check out how we helped Mike, a Leaving Certificate student who, due to a disability needed to access the exam papers in digital format, but whose request had been denied by the State Examinations Commission: Challenges for State Examination Students with Disabilities.