Now fully revised and updated, this classic textbook is unique in its use of children's rights to evaluate law and policy affecting children across a broad range of areas in their lives. Comprehensive in scope, it features assessments of key topics including parenthood, education, child protection, child poverty and medical law.

This text considers the developing law in England and Wales as it applies to the burgeoning and confusing subject of the rights of children. It examines the extent to which the emerging legal principles can be harnessed to fulfil those rights.

The notion that children constitute an important group of rights holders has gained increasing acceptance both domestically and internationally. Nevertheless, this rhetorical commitment to children's rights is not necessarily realised in practice. Now in its fourth edition, Fortin's Children's Rights and the Developing Law explores the extent to which law and policy in England promotes or undermines the rights of children. Fully revised and updated, this textbook uses current research on child development and welfare to reflect on the extent to which the law fulfils children's rights in a wide range of areas, including medical law, education and child poverty. These developments are measured again the domestic law and the UK's international obligations under, for example, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Following the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998, awareness has increased that we live in a rights-based culture and that children constitute an important group of rights holders. Now in its third edition, Children's Rights and the Developing Law explores the way developing law and policies in England and Wales are simultaneously promoting and undermining the rights of children. It reflects on how far these developments take account of children's interests, using current research on children's needs as a template against which to assess their effectiveness and considering a broad range of topics, including medical law, education and youth justice. A critical approach is maintained throughout, particularly when assessing the extent to which the concept of children's rights is being acknowledged by the courts and policy makers and the degree to which the UK fulfils its obligations under, for example, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Scholars from a range of different disciplines explore how best to implement children's rights.

A comprehensive analysis and innovative, holistic interpretation of the child's right to development.