European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights

The European Convention on the Exercise of Children's Rights, signed on January 25, 1996 and entered into force in Italy on November 1, 2003, has the object to promote the rights of children, to grant them procedural rights and to facilitate the exercise of these rights by ensuring that children are, themselves or through other persons or bodies, informed and allowed to participate in proceedings affecting them before a judicial authority.

For the purposes of this Convention, the proceedings before a judicial authority affecting children are family proceedings, in particular those involving the exercise of parental responsibilities such as residence and access to children.

These rights of children are: 

- the right to be informed and to express their views in proceedings that concern them;

- the right to be informed of the possible consequences of these views and the consequences of any decision; 

- the right to appoint their own representative;

 - the right to apply to be assisted by an appropriate person of their choice in order to help them express their views;

- the right to apply themselves, or through other persons or bodies, for the appointment of a separate representative, in appropriate cases a lawyer.

For more details, please see also:

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its application in Italy

International Lawyers for Child Abduction

Child Custody Disputes in Italy

Child Abduction in Italy: the requirement of habitual residence for the application of the Hague Convention of 1980

The International Child Abduction in EU countries

Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

The member countries of Hague Convention of 1980

For more information, please contact Lawyers in Italy