By Sirrah Touray
Government officials, the Judiciary, UN agencies and partners have committed to overhauling The Gambia’s child justice system after a two-day national stakeholder dialogue in Banjul.
The forum—convened by the Judiciary, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Justice and Unicef—followed the December 2025 visit of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.
UN Resident Coordinator Karl Frederick Paul opened the dialogue, stressing that an effective child justice system requires clear laws, inter-institutional coordination, timely social services, legal aid, reliable data and trained professionals. He reiterated that the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child mandate the best interests of the child as the primary consideration in all decisions affecting children. Paul said UN support will be integrated across development, human-rights and peace-and-security work, but lasting progress must be driven by Gambian institutions, law and ownership.
Unicef Country Representative Nafisa Binte Shafique said The Gambia has established important legal and institutional foundations—the Children’s Act 2005, the Children’s Amendment Act 2016 and specialised children’s courts in Brikama, Basse, Mansa Konko and Kanifing—alongside the Directorate of Children’s Affairs, Police Child Welfare Units and the National Agency for Legal Aid. She warned, however, that systemic problems persist including: case-processing delays, weak coordination, limited diversion and rehabilitation services, legal-aid shortages and deficient case management. Citing the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s 2025 observations, Shafique said child-friendly, timely justice improves recovery and reintegration, while prolonged detention deepens trauma.
Permanent Secretary Habib Jarra, speaking for the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, outlined government actions including plans to expand the children’s courts into key regions, establishment of child friendly spaces in police stations and provision of vocational training for children in conflict with the law.
He also identified gaps such as shortages of child‑appropriate detention and rehabilitation facilities, lack of structured diversion programmes, and inadequate legal representation for vulnerable children.
“These shortages require immediate attention,” he said.
Jarra called for scaled-up diversion mechanisms, investment in rehabilitation centres, expanded legal aid, better coordination among social workers, police, prosecutors and the judiciary, and consistent use of non‑custodial measures.
Solicitor General Hussein Thomasi, speaking for the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a rights‑protective, rehabilitation‑focused system. He noted that while the Children’s Act 2005 aligns national law with international obligations, implementation is undermined by delays, funding shortfalls and coordination failures. Thomasi urged that legal protections be translated into practice and proposed reviewing issues such as the age of criminal responsibility against evidence and international standards. He also called for improved case management, data collection, inter‑agency coordination and capacity building.
Chief Justice Hassan B Jallow reported that the Judiciary has operationalised specialised children’s courts staffed with designated magistrates and community panel members to decentralise access. He acknowledged persistent barriers—insufficient facilities, backlogs, limited diversion and rehabilitation programs and weak coordination—and urged stakeholders to map systemic gaps, strengthen coordination, reduce delays and define training priorities. Jallow proposed establishing a permanent child‑justice stakeholder committee to sustain coordination and oversight.
Participants agreed to produce a practical roadmap with short-, medium- and long-term actions to make The Gambia’s child justice system faster, better coordinated and firmly child‑centred.
