This interdisciplinary book analyzes the nature of child justice administration in Africa, particularly focusing on Nigeria and South Africa. The author uses a comparative approach in analyzing the legal regime and practice of child justice administration in Africa by recommending South Africa as inspiration for Nigeria since the justice sector in South Africa is significantly more developed. It further investigates various problems and challenges associated with children in the criminal justice system in Africa, thereby contributing to the cross-fertilization and collaboration among African nations that contributes to the development of the continent as a whole. The monograph shows that children are not only neglected by academics and practitioners but also that there is no access to scholarly materials in this area of law in Africa. This work contributes to knowledge in the area of law and methodology on the issue of child justice administration, development studies, political science, and African studies.

Getting the principles, procedures and practices of child justice right is essential to preventing crime in South Africa. In this monograph the authors chart the history of child justice in South Africa, and internationally. They describe recent developments in child justice in South Africa, and contextualise the South African approach by reflecting on international standards. This monograph provides details about the new Child Justice Bill. The Child Justice Bill provides an enlightened approach to dealing with young offenders and offers a chance to break the cycle of crime. Included in the new Bill are provisions for diverting child offenders out of the criminal justice system through the possibility of community-based sentencing. The Bill also provides a firm legal basis for restorative justice that attends to the needs both of victims and perpetrators.

This report examines the potential of restorative justice programmes to facilitate conflict resolution and provide appropriate protection to children. This applies to the justice system, whether children are victims, offenders or witnesses, but it also applies in a range of other contexts, including at school, in residential care units, in social welfare settings and in the community.

In Child-friendly Justice, world-leading experts on children’s rights analyse how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has strengthened children’s status in civil, administrative and criminal justice systems.

This collection is anchored in an African conception of children's rights and the law, and reflects contemporary discourses taking place in the region of the children's rights sphere. The majority of contributors are African and adopt an individual approach to their topic which reflects their first-hand experience. The book focuses on child rights issues which have particular resonance on the continent and the chapters span themes which are both broad and narrow, containing subject matter which is both theoretical and illuminated by practice. The book profiles recent developments and experiences in furthering children's legal rights in the African context, and distils from these future trends the specific role that the law can play in the African children's rights environment.