N° 278: The right to be heard: an access to justice debt. Special focus on the rights of children in residential care.

Legal empowerment is an approach to access to justice that views individuals as capable of making decisions and resolving conflicts, thereby reinforcing the exercise of personal freedoms. To implement legal empowerment for children, it is essential to adopt an approach that trusts their capacity to make decisions when given the right tools. This means constantly training staff so they can assist effectively and ensure children can evaluate the information they receive — rather than simply following instructions.