Parliament has called for reforms to address the challenges minors face in the legal system. During a plenary session on March 13, Sen. Adrie Umuhire, the Chairperson of the Senate’s Committee on Social Affairs and Human Rights, listed several persistent issues that hinder effective legal defense for children in court. Presenting an analysis of the latest report by the National Commission for Human Rights, she explained that while children are legally assigned defense lawyers, several systemic issues continue to hinder the effectiveness of their legal representation. ALSO READ: MPs urge family ministry to expedite orders on child protection What we appreciate is that children are assigned legal defenders, but problems remain, such as delays in the appeals process, difficulties in preparing court cases with the children, and frequent postponements due to defenders failing to attend hearings, she explained. The report also indicated that some children who committed crimes at a young age are, later, tried as adults after they reach maturity, despite having committed the crime when they were still minors. ALSO READ: RIB explains reasons for child detention before trial We also found that lawyers sometimes force children to accept crimes they didn't commit, with the promise of a reduced sentence, Umuhire said. “The rights of children should be given more attention, especially in terms of legal defense. While children are legally defended, the existing problems show that they are not receiving the defense they truly deserve. Another problem is the short duration of the contracts given to the children’s legal representatives, she said, noting that these often last a year. “Many times, these defenders finish their cases before they are even concluded. We recommend that these contracts be reviewed to ensure that defenders can continue representing children until their cases are fully resolved, she said. Sen. Pélagie Uwera spoke about the harmful effects of limited legal representation for children accused of crimes. ALSO READ: Legal bodies move to improve child rights One thing that needs to be addressed is how a person who commits a crime as a child is later treated as an adult due to delays in their case. By the time the case is heard, the individual may have reached adulthood and be tried as such, even though they committed the crime when they were still a child, Uwera explained. She emphasised the need for measures to ensure that children are tried according to their age at the time of the crime, rather than being penalised as adults. The most important thing is to have a system in place where, whenever a child needs a legal defender, they can get one, she added.
