-
.
- Ελληνικά
The Cyprus School of Magistrates and "Hope for Children" CRC Policy Center Cyprus are pleased to announce the winning of the Crystal Scales of Justice Award 2023 with the game "Let's Go to Court" or "Kids in Court Game" (KiCGame).
The Crystal Scales of Justice competition is organised every two years by the Council of Europe's European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and is the European prize for innovative practices that contribute to the efficiency and quality of justice.
The entry for this competition was made jointly by the Cyprus School of Magistrates and the humanitarian organisation "Hope for Children" and the proposal concerns an innovative tool for the preparation of children who have been subjected to sexual harassment and are about to appear before a court. It is essentially a board game for children, who are considered vulnerable witnesses, and aims to prepare them psychologically and familiarise them through play with the new environment they are expected to encounter throughout the court proceedings.
The tool was created in collaboration with Hope for Children and its academic partners at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK and specifically with Dr Marilena Kyriakidou, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield Hallam in the United Kingdom. Professor at that University, who leads the research team, part of which is Dr. Alexia Zalaf, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield Hall, and Dr. Marilariya Hall, Professor at the University of Sheffield Hall.
The KiCGame prototype has been developed based on the Cypriot reality, is in Greek and has already been implemented at the "House of the Child" by professional psychologists and other supporters who are responsible for preparing children for their court appearance.
The KiCGame prototype has been developed based on the Cypriot reality, is in Greek and has already been implemented at the "House of the Child" by professional psychologists and other supporters who are responsible for preparing children for their court appearance.
The proposal was supported by the Ministry of Justice and Public Order and the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights. The tool is also supported by other public authorities involved in the "Children's Home", such as Social Welfare Services and Mental Health Services.
The award was recently presented at a special ceremony held at the French Ministry of Justice, in Paris, in the presence of Mr. Eric Dupond-Moretti, Minister of Justice of France, Mr. Pap Ndiaye, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe, Mr. Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the President of CEPEJ Mr. Members of the jury of the competition, which was composed of prominent personalities in the field of justice, were also present at the ceremony to explain their selection.
The School of Magistrates was represented by the Director of the School, Mr. George Erotokritou, former Judge of the Supreme Court, and "Hope for Children" was represented by its Executive Director Mrs. Andrea Neocleous.
The award is considered a great honour for Cyprus because the competition is attended by organisations from many European countries. In particular, for this year's edition of the competition, a total of 48 proposals from 17 countries were submitted, with a special focus on access to justice, victim protection and the digitalisation of justice.
The representatives of the winning proposals will be invited to present their proposals at the CEPEJ plenary session in early December 2023.
Mr. George Erotokritou, in his presentation at the ceremony, noted that the "Let's Go to Court" tool falls within the broader policy of the European Union and the Council of Europe for a Child Friendly Justice system that upholds not only the principle of due process of law, but also a system that respects children's rights, including the right to understand the judicial process.
In accepting the award, Ms. Andrea Neocleous said, "As long as there are legal systems that require children to participate in judicial proceedings, it is our duty to ensure that their path through that process is as smooth as possible. That is precisely why we are determined to ensure that Kids in Court is implemented internationally, touching the lives of as many affected children as possible."
Cyprus, as the winning country of this year's competition, will host the final ceremony for the 13th Edition of the Award in October 2025.
(MB/SX)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
