CFL Lecture: 'The Lundy Model of Child Participation: space, voice, audience and influence for young people in decision making when parents separate'

Cambridge Law: Public Lectures from the Faculty of Law

This event was hosted by Cambridge Family Law Centre (CFL) on 7 March 2024. Speakers: Professor Laura Lundy (Queen’s University Belfast), Professor Anne Barlow (University of Exeter) & Dr Jan Ewing (University of Cambridge) When parents separate, children have the right to a voice in the decision-making per their article 12, UNCRC rights. However, evidence shows that this right is rarely upheld in England and Wales. Professor Lundy has developed the ‘Lundy Model of Child Participation’ (‘the Lundy Model’), a core set of rights-based principles to ensure young people can participate meaningfully in decision-making. The model is core to the Irish National Framework on Child and Youth Participation. It has been adopted internationally, by the European Commission, World Health Organisation, World Vision and UNICEF. Professor Lundy presents the Lundy Model and Professor Barlow and Dr Ewing presents the findings of empirical research from the Wellcome Trust Centre-funded, ‘HeaRT Project’ to consider the extent to which child-inclusive mediation as currently practised in England and Wales is compliant with their article 12 rights and the mental health and well-being benefits to young people when they are given space, voice, audience and influence per the Lundy Model in child-inclusive mediation. For more about CFL see: https://www.family.law.cam.ac.uk/