The aim of this project is to have a nation where children’s rights are respected and upheld by all. In line with this, ZCEA provides free legal advice, information dissemination and awareness raising on children’s rights and child related legislations. Free legal advice is provided to the indigent but especially children who need legal assistance. Information dissemination is provided to communities and law enforcement officers such as police officers, labour officers and social welfare officers. ZCEA also raises awareness and provides IECmaterials on children’s rights and child related legislations to the public.
Free Legal Advice
In this regard, ZCEA, through its 30 volunteer paralegals, offers free legal advice to indigent families and their children at the 15 Child-Friendly Citizens Legal Advice Desks that are in 6 towns in Zambia (Kafue, Lusaka, Kabwe, Kapiri Mponshi, Ndola, Kitwe and Mufulira.
The cases most prevalently dealt with at the Desks are child maintenance after dissolution of marriage or union but more especially for children born out of wedlock. The other cases are inheritance rights of children after the death of one or both parents; pre trial detention of children who come into contact with the law; child labour; abuse and neglect of children etc. The paralegals handle civil matters and refer criminal matters to the police. ZCEA has a healthy working relationship with the police in the areas the Desks operate in; as a result, the police also refer civil matters to the ZCEA Desks.
ZCEA paralegals use alternative dispute resolutions such as arbitration, mediation, conciliation and restorative justice. It backs up these dispute resolutions by citing relevant decided cases. Paralegals also offer counseling to child victims of abuse and neglect.
Information Dissemination on Children’s Rights and Child Related Legislations
ZCEA carries out information dissemination to law enforcement officers and communities on children’s rights as provided for in both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and legal provisions provided for in Zambian child related legislations. The legal frameworks used for information dissemination on child related legislations in Zambia are:
The Zambian Constitution
The Penal Code
Intestate Succession Act, Chapter 59 of the Laws of Zambia.
Adoption Act, Chapter 54 of the Laws of Zambia.
Affiliation and Maintenance of Children Act, Cap 64.
Marriage Act, Chapter 50.
Employment of Young Persons and Children Act, Chapter 274.
Wills and Administration of Testate Estates Act, Chapter 60.
Juveniles Act, Chapter 53.
Births and Deaths Registration Act, Chapter 51
Community workshops are held on a monthly basis on rotation in Lusaka and on a quarterly basis in a selected town on the Copperbelt Province or in Central Province. The workshops are conducted in residential areas where ZCEA has Desks and on invitation where it does not. Community workshops are usually facilitated by a resource person from the Zambia Police Community Services under which the Victim Support Unit is anchored. The resource person is usually a senior police officer.
Law Enforcement Officers’ workshops are held once in quarter at police stations and facilitated by magistrates from the subordinate courts.
One piece of legislation is discussed at a workshop.
Awareness raising on Children’s Rights and Child Related Legislations
As part of its promotion of children’s rights ZCEA raises awareness on children’s rights and on child related legislations through both print and electronic media, march pasts, popular drama shows and development and distribution of IEC materials on the same. To this effect ZCEA has simplified, produced and distributed 6 child related legislations and translated, produced and distributed the principle child legislation – Juveniles Act Cap 53 of the Laws of Zambia in 7 local languages.
In total ZCEA has simplified the following child related legislations:
Intestate Succession Act Cap 59 of the laws of Zambia
Testate/Wills Act Cap 58 of the laws of Zambia
Juvenile Act Cap 53 of the laws of Zambia
Affiliation and Maintenance of Children’s Act Cap 64 of the laws of Zambia
Employment of Young Persons and Children’s Act Cap 274 of the laws of Zambia
Adoption Act Cap 54 of the laws of Zambia
And translated the Juveniles Act Cap 53 into 7 local languages: Tonga, Lozi, Bemba, Nyanja, Luvale, Kaonde and Lunda
