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This report is part of CRIN's access to justice for children project, looking at the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in national law, the status of children involved in legal proceedings, the legal means to challenge violations of children’s rights and the practical considerations involved in challenging violations.
Ghana has ratified the CRC and incorporated it into national law through the Children’s Act. Generally, children can only bring cases to court through their “next friend” or guardian ad litem. However, they may apply to the Family Tribunal themselves for a care or supervision order or submit a complaint about rights violations to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice. Legal aid is guaranteed by law for fundamental rights cases brought under the Constitution, for children in conflict with the law and for children appearing at the Family Tribunal, but this is not always enforced in practice. Children have a right to participate in proceedings concerning them and the right to privacy in Family Tribunal proceedings.
