ChildSay program prioritizes children in Greek justice system
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The Greek Ministry of Justice launched the ChildSay program, a comprehensive initiative designed to center children’s voices within legal decisions affecting them.
Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis described the program as one of the ministry’s most positive actions. Currently, thousands of Greek children participate in custody and parental care decisions without their opinions being seriously considered, which negatively impacts their well-being.
The ChildSay program aims to address this issue through research, professional training, and a national action plan to create a more child-friendly justice system. It will focus on children aged 6 to 10, as well as parents, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, and related professionals like police officers and social workers. The 24-month program, co-funded by the European Union, will evaluate existing legislation and train legal professionals in child-centered practices.
The Ministry of Justice plans to establish a committee to assess changes made to Family Law five years ago and address any problems arising from the new legislation. The program builds on existing Greek law that allows courts to hear children, provided they are deemed mature enough, and seeks to give real weight to their input.
