On Wednesday, the Government of Andorra approved the Childrens and Adolescents Bill and also the Draft Law on the criminal liability of minors in Andorra (Pyrenees).
The two texts will enter parliamentary proceedings in the coming days, and aim to respond to the needs of children and adolescents, considering that it is a group with their own concerns.
The Childrens and Adolescents Bill has been promoted jointly by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Education, and has been drawn up on the basis of the contributions gathered in the committee of experts for the preparation of the law, which has had representatives of the different institutions and organizations of civil society. In addition, the same young people and children have been taken into account, who have been able to express their opinions and needs in the framework of workshops on the law.
It is a text that configures an innovative, dynamic and flexible model to adapt to emerging needs and new forms of care for children and adolescents. In addition, the regulations have been developed to create a model of care in which young people are the center and in what is the administration that has to work in a coordinated and transversal way to respond to all the rights and needs of teens.
On the other hand, the Draft Law on the criminal liability of minors is directly related to the other text, since it updates the regulations corresponding to how juveniles should be judged. Among other issues, the possibility of being subjected to a criminal ordinance procedure, which until now was restricted to the elderly, is introduced. In addition, judges who judge minors are expected to receive ongoing training in this area, and focus more on the educational and socializing aspect of minors, extending the options for precautionary measures for this group.
In order to present in detail the two legislative texts, the ministers of Social Affairs, Justice and Home Affairs, Xavier Espot Zamora, and of Education and Higher Education, Eric Jover, will offer a specific press conference on this matter next week.
See also Andorra primary education
See also Andorra University
