Between 2013 and 2015, Coram International was part of a consortium of child justice experts supporting the ongoing reform of the justice system in Palestine. The project not only focused on state-led reform initiatives, it also addressed the informal justice system that plays a crucial role in Palestinian society. The project had five main components:
- Strategy and coordination – including developing a common manual of procedures on juvenile justice.
- Strengthening institutions – including developing a long-term strategy on the care and rehabilitation of child offenders and a national information management system related to child protection; creating a specialised judiciary and prosecution for juveniles, and specialised training within the Palestinian Judicial Institute; creating a Pilot Juvenile Court with integrated legal aid services; reinforcing specialised training on handling juvenile cases at the Palestinian Bar Association and at University level; creating a specialised juvenile police forced; supporting the implementation of legal aid mechanisms for juvenile cases; and supporting diversion mechanisms for children in conflict with the law.
- Strengthening capacities of informal systems – including reinforcing the concepts of child protection, child rights and the best interests of the child throughout the informal justice process and strengthening capacities of informal juvenile justice actors.
- Awareness raising and education – including community-based rights advocacy and supporting the role of the education system to identify children at risk and respond to their needs.
- Strengthening law – including technical support for law and policy development related to child justice.
In 2006, Coram International provided technical assistance to UNICEF and its government partners to redraft the Law for Juveniles in Conflict with the Law. Coram International also undertook an assessment of the child protection system and made recommendations for reform and amendments to the 2005 Child Rights Law.
