CFJ-EN Annual Seminar 2026 - The Value of Investing in Child-Centred Justice
We are delighted to announce that the Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures, Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ), Child Friendly Justice European Network (CFJ-EN), and Defence for Children International - Belgium will co-host the 2026 CFJ-EN Annual Seminar, bringing together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, advocates, and institutions from across Europe and beyond.
Taking place in Brussels this October 29-30, this year's Annual Seminar will focus on a timely and increasingly important theme - The Value of Investing in Child-Centred Justice.
📅 29-30 October 2026
📍 Brussels
🔗 Find out more and register:
About the Theme
Child-centred justice is not a cost - it's a strategic, long-term investment in children, communities, and society.
Participants will explore how we can make a convincing case for investing in child-centred justice. It begins with children’s experiences. But, it also requires looking at the wider systems and societal conditions that shape their experiences and lives.
Child-centred justice is founded on the recognition that the systems, services and people which surround children should be designed around their human rights, justice needs, well-being, and lived experiences. Evidence from across disciplines continues to demonstrate the benefits of early intervention, prevention, coordinated support services, and meaningful participation for children.
Yet, many jurisdictions are grappling with competing priorities, significant financial pressures and evolving debates about child justice policy, including proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility and renewed interest in more punitive responses to children in conflict with the law. And so, the 2026 Annual Seminar provides a key opportunity to examine the evidence on what works and why investment matters.
Programme
The programme will bring together leading experts from across Europe and the international community to share multidisciplinary insights from research, policy, and practice.
Highlights include:
An immersive Youth Experiential Learning Lab, offering participants an opportunity to better understand the challenges many children face when navigating justice, education, health, and social care systems.
High-level discussions with experts on how to articulate and build support for investment in child-centred justice.
Reflections on Scotland's Whole-System Approach, including lessons learned from more than a decade of efforts to keep children out of formal justice processes through rights-respecting and proportionate responses, and the challenges which persist.
Cross-country perspectives examining both the benefits of sustained investment and the risks associated with policy regression and increasingly punitive approaches.
Interactive workshops and activities, challenging assumptions and exploring practical pathways to strengthen investment in child-centred justice.
Throughout the Seminar, speakers will showcase examples of promising policy and practice, highlighting where investment can have the greatest impact and what lessons can be learned and applied across contexts.
Looking Ahead
As co-hosts, IICF is proud to support a dialogue that considers the longer-term future we want to create for children.
Building from the publication of the Justice for Children Policy Brief: Smarter Financing in 2023, the Annual Seminar provides an important opportunity to push forward the dial and connect evidence, policy, and practice while strengthening collaboration across sectors and borders. By bringing together diverse perspectives, we hope to contribute to a growing understanding that investment in child-centred justice is not simply a matter of public financing and budgeting, but a solid investment in children's rights, stronger communities, and the future well-being of society as a whole.
We look forward to seeing you there!