Therapeutic and non-therapeutic practices in the child justice system in Kenya: A therapeutic jurisprudence perspective.

Autor: Muema FM; School of Humanities and Social Sciences, United States International University (Africa), P.O BOX, 14634-00800, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: fxmueni@gmail.com., Kawałek A; Leeds Beckett University, 10, Queen Square, Leeds LS2, 8AJ,UK. Electronic address: a.kawalek@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: International journal of law and psychiatry [Int J Law Psychiatry] 2024 Jul-Aug; Vol. 95, pp. 101993. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 04.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101993
Abstrakt: Child justice systems are specialized jurisdictions set up for the purpose of providing justice related services to children. In an effort to resolve many of the systemic injustices expereinced by justice involved children, Kenya recently legislated the Children Act 2022. This new law is viewed as a paradigm shift from previous children acts as it incorporates constitutional provisions, UN conventions, minimum rules and other international protocols that Kenya is a state party to. The Act seeks to transform the child justice system into a jurisdiction which is more amenable to prioritising the mental wellbeing of children. The current study sought to examine the practices applied by state child justice agencies and whether these were therapeutic or non- therapeutic. This would clarify areas where the Act may need to be amended or reviewed to further its own goals. The findings revealed that the most non-therapeutic procedures centred on the courtroom such as the formal court environment and children facing perpetrators in court as well as limited access to mental health services. Therapeutic practices included ensuring children access treatment, use of child friendly interviewing techniques and testifying in camera. These may guide justice actors as to how they apply the Children Act 2022 within their own contexts whilst developing rules and standards that embody the principles of therapeutic jurisprudence.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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