LAWS OF THE WORLD ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

This page provides links to laws of children and adolescents from the following countries:

ALBANIA

Law No. 8733 of 24 January 2001 amending Law No. 7895 of 27 January 1995, the Penal Code.

Among other things, this Law amends the Penal Code with respect to punishment for sexual offenses committed against minors and trafficking in persons, in particular women and children.

AUSTRIA

Law amending the laws relating to children, 29 December 2000

Amendments of 9 April 1999 to the Youth Welfare Law

Law amending the Criminal Law, 1998

Among other things, this Law amends provisions of the Criminal Code dealing with sexual offenses committed against minors.

BANGLADESH

Oppression of Women and Children (Special Provisions) Act, 1995 (Act No. 18 of 1995)

BELARUS

Law on the Rights of the Child, 25 October 2000

BELGIUM

Law of 28 December 2000 on the criminal protection of minors

BELIZE

Families and Children Act, 1998 (Act No. 17 of 1998), 8 July 1998, as amended through 1999

BERMUDA

Children Act 1998 (Act No. 38 of 1998), 17 July 1998.

Children Amendment Act 2002 (Act No. 36 of 2002, 30 December 2002

BULGARIA

Child Protection Act, 31 May 2000

BURMA

The Child Law, 14 July 1993

CAMBODIA

Act of 29 February 1996 on the Suppression of the Kidnapping, Trafficking and Exploitation of Human Beings

CANADA

Act to amend the Criminal Code (child prostitution, child sex tourism, criminal harassment and female genital mutilation), 25 April 1997

Youth Criminal Justice Act, 19 February 2002

CHINA

Child Development Program for the 1990s

COLOMBIA

Law No. 679 of 3 August 2001

This Law sets forth measures to prevent and reverse the exploitation of minors, child pornography, and sexual tourism with minors, in application of Article 44 of the Constitution.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANAS

Public Law No. 12-56 of 25 June 2001

This Act provides for the protection of minors and the prosecution of persons who are charged or convicted of a crime to commit child abuse or neglect and amends duties to report such crimes.

COSTA RICA

Law No. 8261 of 24 April 2002, the General Law on Young Persons

Decree No. 30622-C of 12 August 2002, Regulations to the General law on Young Persons

Law No. 7739 of 6 January 1998, the Code of Children and Adolescents, as amended through Law No. 8237 of 9 April 2002

Law No. 7735 of 19 December 1997, the General Law on the Protection of Adolescent Mothers (Law No. 7735), as amended through Law No. 8312 of 30 September 2002

CYPRUS

Law No. 3(1) of 2000, Combating of Trafficking in Persons and Sexual Exploitation of Children Law of 2000

DENMARK

The Child Law (No. 460) of 7 June 2001

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

National Regulations and Procedures for the integral care of adolescents

ECUADOR

Law No. 2001-49 of 16 October 2001, the Youth Law

Law No. 1890-A of 17 September 2001

This Law amends the Law on Minors.

EL SALVADOR

Decree No. 642 of 17 June 1999

Among other things, this Decree amends Articles 159, 161-163 of the Penal Code to strengthen provisions of the Code dealing with sexual crimes committed against minors and incapable persons.

ESTONIA

Law on Childhood Protection of 8 June 1992, as amended through 28 January 1998

Act to Regulate Dissemination of Works which Contain Pornography or Promote Violence or Cruelty, as amended through July 2002

FRANCE

Law No. 2000-196 of 6 March 2000 establishing a Defender of Children

Law No. 2000-197 of 6 March 2000 designed to strengthen the role of the school in the prevention of acts of mistreatment against minors

Law No. 98-468 of 17 June 1998 on the prevention and repression of sex offenses and on the protection of minors

GABON

Law No. 01/2000 defining general measures for the health and social protection of mothers and children

GERMANY

Youth Protection Law, 23 July 2002

Sixth Law on amending the Penal Code, 26 January 1998

Among other things, this Law amends the Penal Code with respect to sexual offenses committed against Germany

Law Improving the Rights of the Child, 9 April 2002

GUATEMALA

Decree No. 27-03 of 4 June 2003, Law for the Integral Protection of Children and Adolescents

HAITI

Law of 10 September 2001

This Law prohibits all kinds of inhumane treatment of children, including corporal punishment.

HONG KONG

Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance (Ordinance No. 31 of 2003), 17 July 2003

Protection of Children and Juveniles ordinance, as amended through 30 June 1997

ICELAND

Child Protection Act, No. 80 of 2002

Law No. 20 of 22 May 1992 in the version of Law No. 37 of 30 April 1993, the Law on the Legal Position of Children

INDIA

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 (Act No. 56 of 2000, 30 December 2000

IRELAND

Children Act, 2001 (Act No. 24 of 2001), 8 July 2001

JAPAN

Law for Punishing Acts Related to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and for Protecting Children

LATVIA

Protection of the Rights of the Child Law, 8 July 1988, as amended through 18 May 2000

LUXEMBOURG

Law of 31 May 1999.

This Law has the objective of strengthening measures against the trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children and minors.

MACAU

Decree-Law No. 65/99/M of 25 October 1999

This Decree-Law has the objective of regulating a new system for the education and social protection of minors between the ages of 12 and 16 who have committed offenses or are at risk.

Law No. 9/1999 of 20 December 1999.

This Law amends Decree-Law No. 65/99/M of 25 October 1999.

MADAGASCAR

Ordinance No. 62-038 of 19 September 1962 on the protection of children

Law No. 98-024 of 25 January 1999 reformulating the Penal Code with respect to pedophilia

MALI

Ordinance No. 02-062/P-RM of 5 June 2002 setting forth the Code of Child Protection.

MALAYSIA

Child Act 2001, 15 February 2001

MALTA

Children and Young Persons (Care Orders) Act as amended through Act No. 13 of 2002

Child Abduction and Custody Act, Act No. 13 of 1999, as amended by Act No. 6 of 2001

MEXICO

Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents, 23 May 2000, as amended through 2003

MOLDOVA

Law No. 338=XIII of 15 December 1994 on the rights of the child, as amended through Law No. 1001-XV of 19 April 2002

MONACO

Law No. 1203 of 13 July 1998 amending and completing Article 265 of the Penal Code and Article 8 of the Code of Penal Procedures

This Law amends the Penal Code with respect to the sexual exploitation of minors.

MOROCCO

Decree setting forth Law No. 1-93-165 of 10 September 1993 on abandoned children

NICARAGUA

Law No. 392 of 9 May 2001, Law on the Promotion of the Integral Development of Youth

Law No. 351 of 18 May 2000

This Law has the objective of setting forth the organization and functioning of the National Council for the Care and Integral Protection of Children and Adolescents and the Office of the Defender of Children and Adolescents, created by the Code of Children and Adolescents.

Executive Decree No. 63-2000 of 26 July 2000

This Decree sets forth regulations to Law No. 351 of 18 May 2000.

PANAMA

Law No. 29 of 13 June 2002

This Law has the objective of guaranteeing pregnant adolescents the right to receive integral health care, to remain in the educational system, and to receive legal protection if it is so required.

PARAGUAY

Law No. 1680 of 27 December 2000, the Code of Children and Adolescents

PERU

Law No. 27558 of 22 November 2001

This Law is designed to promote the education of female rural children and adolescents in conditions of equality.

Law No. 27802 of 28 July 2002

This Law establishes the regulatory and institutional framework of the Government's activities with respect to its policy towards youth.

Law No. 27337 of 2 August 2000 approving the Code of Children and Adolescents

Law No. 27473 of 5 June 2001

This Law amends Article 77 of Law No. 27337.

Law No. 27571 of 4 December 2001

This Law amends Article 51 of Law No. 27337.

Law No. 26518 of 4 August 1995 approving the Law of the National System for Integral Attention to Children and Adolescents

Law No. 26621 of 13 June 1996

This Law amends Law No. 26518.

Law No. 27637 of 15 January 2002

This Law creates a national network of places of temporary refuge for minors who are the victims of sex offenses and in a situation of risk or abandonment.

PHILIPPINES

Republic Act No. 8972 of 7 November 2000

This Act has the objective of developing a comprehensive program of services for solo parents and their children to be carried out by various governmental and non-governmental agencies.

Republic Act No. 8972 of 7 November 2000

This Act promulgates a comprehensive policy and a national system for early childhood care and development (ECCD).

PORTUGAL

Law No. 90/2001 of 20 August 2001

This Law sets forth social measures for the protection of mothers and fathers who are students

Law No. 147/99 of 18 August 1999, the Law on the protection of children and youth at risk

Decree-Law No. 332B/2000 of 30 December 2000

This Decree-Law sets forth Regulations to Law No. 147/99 of 18 August 1999.

SIERRA LEONE

National Youth Policy, 30 June 2003

SINGAPORE

Children and Young Persons Act, as amended through Act No. 20 of 2001

SOUTH AFRICA

Child Care Amendment Act, 1996 (Act No. 96 of 1996), 12 November 1996

Welfare Laws Amendment Act, 1997 (Act No. 106 of 1997), 27 November 1997

This Act amends the Child Care Act.

SPAIN

Organic Law No. 5/2000 of 12 January 2000 regulating the criminal responsibility of minors

Organic law No. 11/1999 of 30 April 1999 amending Title VIII of Book II of the Penal Code, approved by Organic Law No. 10/1995 of 23 November 1995

This Law amends provisions of the Penal Code dealing with sexual offenses to strengthen protections, particularly with respect to minors and persons who are incapacitated.

TAIWAN

Children and Youth Welfare Law, 28 May 2003

TANZANIA

Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998 (Act No. 4 of 1998), 1 July 1998

This Act is designed to strengthen provisions of the Penal Code prohibiting sex offenses and other offenses committed against children and minors.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Children (Amendment) Act 2000 (Act No. 68 of 2000), 23 October 2000

The Children’s Authority Act, 2000 (Act No. 64 of 2000) of 2 November 2000

TUNISIA

Code for the Protection of Children, as amended through Law No. 2002-41 of 17 April 2002

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Criminal Justice and Court services Act 2000 (Chapter 43 of 2000), 20 November 2000