Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: Translated into English.
The President of the Republic of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes, yesterday vetoed a reform to the Juvenile Justice Law which would have increased prison sentences for young people aged 16 and 17 from seven to 15 years for serious offences. He considered the decree a violation of international treaties on children's rights and of the Constitution which establishes different treatment for adults and children. According to the Head of State, the decree approved by the Legislative Assembly on 11 February, which received votes by all parties including ruling party the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN), is “unconstitutional” and violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice, to which El Salvador has agreed. He maintained that the Convention guarantees 'age appropriate' treatment of children and, citing article 37.b of this international instrument, he said that imprisonment must “be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.” The President explained that he vetoed the reform after listening to recommendations made by children's judges, the Ombudsperson for Human Rights and the Governmental Commission... Further information