On 25-26 September 2024, family court judges, members of the Belgian High Council of Justice, and representatives from the Ministries of Justice of Belgium and Poland convened with their Slovenian counterparts for a two-day exchange workshop. Organised as part of the Joint European Union-Council of Europe Child-friendly Justice (CFJ) Project, the event featured case studies, discussions and a visit to the Barnahus Centre in Ljubljana. The primary aim was to share good practices and strengthen collaboration among the three CFJ project focus countries to enhance their child-friendly justice systems and better protect children in contact with the law.

In her opening remarks, Andreja Kokalj, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of Slovenia, highlighted the importance of these exchanges. “As one of the project’s focus countries, we are proud to share our expertise in child-friendly justice. The assessment tool developed by the Council of Europe helps us identify gaps and improve our system to better protect children in contact with the law,” she stated. The State Secretary also emphasized the commitment of the Slovenian government to promote child-friendly practices and to strengthen co-operation with European partners in this vital area.

Marta Tarragona Fenosa, the European Commission/DG JUST representative who joined the meeting online, underlined the broader impact of the project. “This initiative directly supports national reforms that ensure children’s rights are upheld during judicial processes. The visit to Slovenia is a key step in identifying remaining challenges and finding solutions to make justice systems across Europe more child-centered,” she remarked.

The workshops explored data collection and analysis related to the child-friendly justice self-assessments conducted in each country. These assessments seek to identify gaps and better align legislation and practice with Council of Europe and European Union’s standards in the field of child-friendly justice. Participants presented and discussed their national assessments, conducted with the support of international experts since July 2024. The insights gathered will inform concrete recommendations for adapting legal frameworks and improving policies in the CFJ Project focus countries.

The event also provided a platform for deeper exchange on the main results and findings of the past and ongoing co-operation projects in Slovenia, including the European Union – Council of Europe joint projects "Improving the Juvenile Justice System in Slovenia" and "Ensuring the Best Interests of the Child in Civil Court Proceedings." The former, ran between 2021 and 2023, contributed to strengthening the Slovenian juvenile justice system in line with European and international standards and good practices. The latter, initiated in 2023, focuses on prioritising children’s best interests in civil court proceedings.

A highlight of the visit was a tour of the Barnahus Centre in Ljubljana, where Slovenian representatives showcased the role of the Barnahus model in providing a coordinated and effective child-friendly justice response for child victims and witnesses of violence. The Centre, the first of its kind in Slovenia, was established with the support of the European Union/DG Reform – Council of Europe joint project “Support the implementation of Barnahus in Slovenia - phase II” and the Norway Grants, with the goal of preventing re-traumatization of children during judicial proceedings. Participants also learned about pilot initiatives aimed at further enhancing child-friendly services.

The visit enabled participants to exchange good practices and lessons learnt on the protection of children’s rights before, during and after judicial proceedings.

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