Commissioner warns budget cuts threaten children's rights in Jersey

Jersey's Children's Commissioner is concerned that proposed budget cuts in 2026 will impact the island's human and children's rights.

Dr Carmel Corrigan tells Channel 103 she is concerned as she frequently hears the statement 'children's rights have gone too far', as if they are in 'some way a threat to adults'.

It comes as her first report is published as the Children's Commissioner, after taking the role in March 2024.

She highlights that a lack of resources will make it more difficult for the watchdog to protect children's rights.

Instead, Dr Corrigan wants to see the government investing in our children, as it is 'ultimately' investing in the island's future.

"I think the Jersey government has made some strides towards trying to promote and protect [children's] rights.

"The introduction of the Children's Convention Rights Law in 2024 was something we really welcomed, but I would like to see the government try to understand the fundamentals of children's rights and to invest where investment is needed most, which is around some of our most vulnerable children."

The Office of the Children's Commissioner Jersey has highlighted six areas that will be prioritised:

• Educational inequality - Ensuring every child has the opportunity to 'maximise their potential' by addressing discrepancies in educational access.
• Children experiencing poverty - Improving the standard of living for children suffering from poverty and ensuring they have access to essential services.
• Play and leisure - Promoting the importance of play and recreational activities in child development and wellbeing.
• Mental health and wellbeing - Improving support systems so children and young people can use mental health resources.
• Children in care - Improving the care system.
• Youth justice - Advocating for fair treatment of young people within the justice system and supporting rehabilitation efforts.

The independent children's rights watchdog's strategic plan for 2024-2027 has seven key pillars:

• Promoting awareness of children’s rights and the OCCJ: The OCCJ wants to embed human rights principles into everyday life in Jersey and encourage discussions. It will do this by raising awareness and educating the public about children’s rights through engaging with the public, professionals, stakeholders, and using media, events and initiatives to promote understanding.
• Demonstrating and promoting best practice in the involvement of children: Ensuring that children’s voices are heard in decisions affecting them at all levels by enhancing accessibility, conduct consultations, strengthen our Youth Advisory Group, create direct engagement opportunities with decision-makers and collaborate with stakeholders to promote meaningful child participation in decision-making processes across the island.
• Protecting children’s rights: The OCCJ will increase awareness of its casework function, promote early and effective resolution of issues, use its full powers for complex cases, and collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure children’s rights are upheld and best outcomes are achieved.
• Monitoring and advising Government: By reviewing policies, regulations, and laws, analysing their impact on children, and identifying opportunities to influence services, policy and legislation to ensure children’s rights are respected and protected, the Office can check how well children's rights are upheld in Jersey.
• Progressing incorporation of the UNCRC: The OCCJ is dedicated to supporting and challenging the Government of Jersey to help honour its commitment to gradually incorporate the UNCRC into Jersey law. This will include identifying priority legislative areas, assisting with the implementation of the Children (Convention Rights) (Jersey) Law 2022, and providing expert policy and legislative advice to the Government.
• Engaging at an international level: The Office will collaborate with UK, Irish and European counterparts, participate in treaty reporting mechanisms, and contribute to global discussions through conferences, events and publications, ensuring Jersey benefits from and contributes to international expertise on children’s rights.
• Being an effective and efficient independent human rights institution in Jersey: The OCCJ, as Jersey’s only human rights institution, is committed to accountability, efficiency and continuous improvement. It will uphold legal responsibilities, ensure financial compliance, enhance transparency in decision-making, explore ways to strengthen our independence, and foster a learning environment for staff to maintain high standards in promoting and protecting children’s rights.

These key aims will form the main duties and functions of the Office, which it believes 'underscores' Dr Corrigan's commitment to 'addressing the challenges children and young people face'.

Dr Carmel Corrigan, Jersey Children's Commissioner

Dr Corrigan also wants islanders to consider children's place in Jersey's society.

She has visited 16 schools in 2024, with 25 visits planned for 2025 to understand children and young people's views here.

This coincides with multiple consultations, as well as learning more about the island and its law and policymaking.

"[Children] are [now] living a childhood that is different to the one that possibly we knew and that our parents knew, and [we] need to understand that their rights are still active in this new world and to enjoy the fact that their children have rights because they are intimately a protection and a promotion of their wellbeing."