In November 1989 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, heralding the arrival of a new era in the development of children's rights. Using the Convention as a framework, this volume re-evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of approaching issues of children's welfare and well-being through the lens of a "rights" approach. The authors take a fresh look at these issues, with specific reference to an international treaty that is certain to be ratified by a very large number of countries in every region of the world and which will soon be legally binding in many states. The contributors are Tom Campbell, Onora O'Neill, Michael Freeman, Ngaire Naffine, Margaret Coady, Tony Coady, Sheila McLean, Frances Olsen, and John Eekelaar.
The Ritual of Rights in Japan rejects the traditional view that Japan is a nation where overt conflict and the assertion of rights are unacceptable. It examines both mistorical events and contemporary policy, particularly recent battles over AIDS policy and the definition of death--in concluding that rights-based conflict is an important part of Japanese legal, political, and social practice. This book describes a nation where rights have become weapons in battles over politics and policy, asserted by those seeking both individual remedies and social change.
This study integrates social science research, social policy, and legal analysis related to children and the law. It provides the most cutting-edge information available on topics such as child abuse, children's eyewitness testimony, divorce and custody, juvenile crime, and children's rights. The volume is an important resource for researchers, attorneys, judges, policy makers, legislators, and mental health, social service, and police professionals.