The Child Justice Alliance

The use of children in the commission of crime is considered a worst form of child labour in terms of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention of the International Labour Organisation. The project, Children Used by Adults to Commit Crime (CUBAC), was formed in 2005 to address this issue.

The initial CUBAC series includes the following publications:

This series was produced as part of the implementation of the Child Labour Programme of Action for South Africa, which is a national partnership initiated by the South African government. Civil society partners comprise of organised business, organised labour and non-governmental organisations. The overall lead government department is the Department of Labour, and the lead department on the CUBAC project is the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

Review of South African Innovations in diversion & integration of at-risk youth

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Compiled by: Francois Steyn
Publisher: Criminal Justice Initiative of the Open Society Foundation
Date of Publication: 2005

Child Justice: Comparing the South African child justice reform process and experiences of juvenile justice reform in the United States of America

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Author: Louise Ehlers
Publisher: Criminal Justice Initiative of the Open Society Foundation
Date of Publication: 2006

Article 40 Journal

Article 40, a lay journal of the Children's Rights Project, Community Law Centre, has been in existance since 1999. It continues to be a valuable resource containing information on policy and legal developments in child justice in South Africa and other parts of Africa. This publication has examples of good practice and successful interventions for children in trouble with the law. It is the only publication of its kind dedicated to strengthening awareness-raising and information dissemination around the South African criminal justice system as it pertains to children.

The following issues of Article 40 can be downloaded:

Volume 11(1) March 2009: Leading article- Child Justice Alliance Diversion workshop held in Pretoria on 1 and 2 December 2008.
Volume 10(3) December 2008 : Leading article- Minimum sentences legislation for child offencers found unconstitutional.
Volume 10(2) July 2008 : Leading article- The Child Justice Bill passed by the National Assembly.
Volume 10(1) May 2008 : Leading article- Overview of the 2007 version of the Child Justice Bill.
Volume 8(1) July 2006 : Leading article- Examining the age of criminal capacity.
Volume 7(4) December 2005: Leading article-Developing a child justice system through judicial practice.
Volume 7(3) October 2005 : Leading article - Probation services in Gauteng.
Volume 7(2) August 2005: Leading article - UN Guidelines on child victims and witnesses of crime
Volume 7(1) May 2005: Leading Article- Do minimum sentences apply to juveniles? The Supreme Court of Appeal rules "No".
Volume 6(4) December 2004: Leading Article - Consultative workshops on the development of diversion minimum standards.
Volume 6(3) October 2004 : Leading Article - What does the new Correctional Services Act say about children in prison.
Volume 6(2) May 2004 : Leading article - Juveniles in prison.
Volume 5(4) December 2003: Leading article - Structural interdicts and child justice: a big stick approach.
Volume 5(3) October 2003 : Leading article - Western Cape Child Justice Forum leads the way.
Volume 5(2) July 2003 : Leading article - Update on Port Nolloth One Stop Child Justice Centre.
Volume 5(1) March 2003: Leading article - Public Hearings by the Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee on Child Justice Bill.