Child rights defenders have revealed that most children meet their advocates in courts without prior establishment of rapport and discussions on alleged offenses, while others face trial without defense lawyers which, at times, leads to juvenile delinquents getting heavy sentences devoid of rehabilitation programs.
This, it has been observed by some law pundits, is worsened by some defense lawyers who advise juveniles to plead guilty to ease trial and judgment processes leading to abortion of justice.
The Ministry of Justice says that discussions between organizations that are concerned with child rights should be regularly held to find pragmatic and sustainable solutions to enable children access complete justice.
In a talk show held on Isango Star radio , Odette Yankurije, the head of Access to Justice Services Department at MINIJUST said that discussions will be held at different levels including court representatives, prosecution authority, defense lawyers and other institutions that handle child affairs to enhance better delivery of justice.
Legal Aid Forum, which trains child advocates, says in the last three months, 400 children have been supported to equitably access justice.
Training child defenders has been prioritized with the aim of creating more awareness of their duties and responsibilities in the process of defending children in courts of law.
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