Welcome to our Children’s Rights Hub!

Our Children’s Rights 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.

Find out more about our services here: Working with children and young people – a snapshot

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.

Our Youth Advisory Group

Our Youth Advisory Group, supported by an experienced child participation consultant, is made up of 13- to 19-year-olds. The group has faced diverse challenges such as homelessness; discrimination; family crisis; physical or mental health problems; and exposure to the criminal justice system.

The Youth Advisory Group helps us ensure that children and young people’s voices shape the design and delivery of our services.

They also shared their perspectives for our latest report: Meeting the Legal Needs of Children and Young People in Ireland – A Children’s Rights Analysis.

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.

Read more examples here: Working with children and young people – a snapshot

Latest Research

As part of our work to better understand and meet the legal needs of children and young people, we asked young people under 18 years to share the barriers they face to tell us what kind of help works or would work. Here’s what they told us: