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Criminal Court Judges

Before developing a policy for child soldiers, your group needs to:

Use the information from these resources to help you answer the questions on the next two pages. Your answers to these questions will help you set policies regarding child soldiers. As you develop your policy, remember that your task is to take the perspective of Criminal Court Judges in the country you are representing to answer the question: WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT CHILD SOLDIERS?

activity
Group Name:

1) Taking into consideration the different reasons why children become soldiers, does your group feel that there are some instances where child soldiers should be punished? Are there some instances where they should not be? Why or why not?

2) If you think they should be punished, how should the legal system treat child soldiers--like children or adults?

3) Keeping in mind that the Paris Principles are not legally binding, would your group's recommendations differentiate between:
    * Children forced to take part in armed conflict and those who volunteer?
    * Children involved directly in armed conflict and those providing support services?
    * Child soldiers who are very young, and those in their teens?
    * Child soldiers who are girls and those who are boys?


Be sure to keep in mind the Principles' emphasis on the special needs of girls who have served in armed conflict.

4) Should these different groups of children be treated the same or differently by the justice system?

5) Why, or why not?

6) What could be a positive outcome of protecting child soldiers from prosecution because of their age?

7) What role should reintegration play in the way the court system treats child soldiers?

You are now ready to create your policy recommendations as Criminal Court Judges. Using the questions on the past two pages as your guide, gather your recommendations to create a succinct declaration on the WebQuest's BIG QUESTION, "What should be done about child soldiers?"

Report Prepared by:



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Illustration: Felicity O. Yost. Source: Marie, In the Shadow of the Lion, by Jerry Piasecki. © United Nations, 2001