When Protection Becomes Punishment: India’s POCSO Act, Adolescent Autonomy, and the Limits of the Bright Line
On 16 April 2026, the Delhi High Court in Harmeet Singh v. State (GNCT of Delhi) quashed a criminal case against a young man whose only “victim” – the seventeen-year-old...
Reactive Laws, Relentless Abuse: Why Child Sexual Abuse Material Still Circulates Freely in India’s Digital Spaces
India today stands in a troubling paradox. Its legal framework addressing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is increasingly stringent, courts have clarified criminal liability, and specialised cyber units are expanding...
Register First, Nikah later: Northampton Imam and the Limits of Child Marriage Protection
“You ought to have known the law had changed.” On 19 January 2026, those words concluded the “legal first” Northampton child marriage prosecution case. The imam (religious cleric) before the...
Trafficking Survivors Relief Act: A Significant Step Towards Improved Implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle in the U.S.
The U.S. enacted the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA) on 23 January 2026, providing human trafficking survivors with a special affirmative defense and criminal records relief for certain federal crimes....
Closed Classrooms – Exploring the Impact of School Closures due to Air Pollution on Children’s Right to Education
The worsening of air quality across Delhi in India has again led to school closures. Almost all schools have moved towards virtual learning, but this requires internet access. While school...
Climate Change and the Erosion of Children’s Rights in Bangladesh
In 2023, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child issued General Comment No. 26, recognising climate change and environmental degradation as urgent and systemic threats to children’s rights....
Right to Children’s Identity in Pakistan
The right of children to identity is globally recognized, with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) emphasizing its critical importance. As a signatory to this...
THE CENTRE FOR CHILD LAW AND OXFORD HUMAN RIGHTS HUB URGE THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEAL TO PUT CHILDREN FIRST IN LANDMARK CLASS ACTION CASE ABOUT LEAD POISONING
The Centre for Child Law (CCL), together with legal scholars from the Oxford Human Rights Hub (“the Amici”), will appear before the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein as amicus...
Coming of Age: The Adoption of 18 as the Legal Minimum Age of Marriage
Kenya’s Supreme Court Balances Islamic Law and Equality in Landmark Inheritance Ruling
On 30 June 2025, the Supreme Court of Kenya delivered a groundbreaking judgment in Fatuma Athman Abud Faraj v Ruth Faith Mwawasi & 2 Others [2025] KESC 35, addressing whether...
Teenage Love Caught between Consent and Criminality under POCSO
In a country where the age of consent is fixed at 18 years, what happens to a 17-year-old in a consensual relationship? This has become a pressing legal concern after...
Legislation Meets Compassion: Frontline Workers Fighting Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse (CSA) leaves a profound scar, with physical, psychological, and social impacts. CSA survivors face stigmatization, often leading to emotional withdrawal and behavioural changes. Globally, the UNCRC sets...
