Tribute to a unique collaboration between judges, academics and filmmakers
During a two-day conference in Zeist on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th March, the role of the child within the judicial procedures was examined in depth. At The Voice of the Child conference, three documentaries premiered, alongside the launch of a manual developed as teaching material to accompany the films.
The aim of this project is to strengthen the training of both sitting judges and judges in training. The documentaries were directed by Pieter Fleury; the manual was produced by the team of Professor Ton Liefaard at Leiden University. The teaching materials will, among other channels, be distributed via the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) to magistrates all over Europe.
Benoit van Keirsbilck, President of the Child-Friendly Justice Network and Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child:
“One of the strongest projects I have ever seen. The result is extremely useful for developing child-friendly justice.”
Strong engagement and high-quality outcomes
The conference brought together approximately 120 participants, including judges, court staff, judicial trainers from 36 European Judicial Training Network member schools, law faculty professors, and specialists in children’s rights and family justice. Attendees represented nearly all European countries. Overall, the conference received uniformly positive feedback.
The films and accompanying manual were widely recognised as unique and of exceptional quality. For the first time, they provide in-depth insight into how judges communicate with children in judicial settings. The films were produced in courts in Varna (Bulgaria), Trento (Italy), and Antwerp (Belgium).
Dineke de Groot, President of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands:
“The films of The Voice of the Child project play a significant role in bringing the issue of child-centred justice to the fore. They strengthen the rights of children involved in judicial proceedings. They encourage a reflective and thoughtful judicial approach and offer valuable examples for training. All those involved, personally or professionally, in cases such as those portrayed in these films can be grateful to both the filmmakers and to those who were willing to participate in the films.”
Privacy and safeguards
Because the materials are extremely privacy-sensitive, involving children, parents and judges in real cases, the only way the films could be made was with an exclusive educational purpose and under a carefully designed safeguarding policy. Further dissemination of the materials is intended for training and is subject to strict privacy rules.
Mimi Furnadzhieva, Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Bulgaria:
“I would really like to present all the films of The Voice of the Child to colleagues at the Supreme Court in Sofia. It is very interesting to see how judges in other countries handle hearing the child with real intensity. Bravo to all the judges we have seen in the project.”
Strong interest across Europe
Schools from Spain, France, Portugal, Slovenia and Greece immediately expressed their intention to start working with the material quickly. Judges from several other European countries also indicated that they would like to make the films accessible to colleagues who conduct interviews with children.
Pietro Moscianese Santori, Deputy Prosecutor at the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office of Milan:
“The right to be loved and the right to be cared for. That is also the job of the judge and the system. Learning from each other’s roles is the best part of this project.”
Work to be done
In addition to presenting the project, the conference provided an opportunity for extensive discussion about the state of the judiciary and the place of the child within its proceedings. It became clear that significant work remains to be done in many areas.
The following aspects were among those considered:
Do judges receive sufficient support and training to communicate with children?
How should children be properly prepared and supported when they are to speak with a judge?
From what age do judges speak with children?
In what environment should this take place ideally (for example, outside the courtroom)?
What weight should be given to the child’s voice?
Should children have the right to appeal a judge’s decision?
These are just a few examples of the themes discussed. It became clear that there are significant differences between European countries when it comes to how children are heard in judicial proceedings. The films help to illustrate these differences and therefore constitute an excellent tool for training and discussion about developing child-friendly justice.
Ingrid Derveaux, Secretary General of the European Judicial Training Network and Judge added:
“You never know if the decision you make is the right one. This is the complexity; you can do your best in different matters — that is what these films show.”
Margreet Blaisse, Board Member of the SSR and a Judge mentioned:
“We all have the duty to use this material.”
Vulnerability and courage
There was also deep appreciation for the judges, parents and children who allowed cameras into their conversations and showed remarkable openness and vulnerability, making The Voice of the Child project —and the telling of their stories—possible.
Ton Liefaard, Professor of Children’s Rights at Leiden University added:
“This project promotes children’s rights and child-friendly justice by supporting ongoing education and reflection in the work of judges across Europe. The films and the manual together should be part of lifelong training for judges.”
Ursula Kilkelly, Professor of Children’s Rights at the University College Cork, Ireland added:
“We need ambitious work like The Voice of the Child to improve child-friendly justice, children’s rights and family law. Family law is imperfect. There is a huge amount that can be done to improve the process.”
Supporters
The Voice of the Child project was a collaboration between the Center for International Cooperation (CILC), Golden Monkey Enterprises (GME), the Training and Study Centre for the Judiciary of the Netherlands (SSR), the Belgian Judicial Training Institute (IGO/IFJ), the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), the Scuola Superiore della Magistratura (SSM), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Universities of Leiden, Trento and Plovdiv, and the courts of Trento, Varna and Antwerp. All the quotes were pronounced at the conference in Zeist, during the discussions and speeches after the viewing of the films.
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