The Legal Aid of Cambodia, the Ministry of Justice, Save the Children Norway, and others have completed a draft handbook on “Protecting the Rights of Children in the Cambodian Justice System.”
The groups are now holding workshops to teach judges, lawyers, prosecutors and police in Phnom Penh about laws regarding children, Chheun Sokha, director of the Legal Aid of Cambodia, said. The groups are planning to expand the program to the provinces.
Suy Nou, secretary of state for the Ministry of Justice, said many authorities don’t know laws or rights pertaining to youths. He noted authorities should understand that many children are on drugs, or are forced into crimes.
The handbook addresses topics such as “Who is a Child Under the Law” and “What Applies to Children in the Justice System.”
