Advancing Child Justice in Zambia

Highlights

Zambia continues to make significant strides in building a child-friendly justice system that upholds the rights, dignity, and well-being of every child. A suite of critical documents—developed with support from UNICEF and other stakeholders—now guides the implementation of child justice reforms across the country.

These include:

• The National Child Justice Strategy & Action Plan (2022–2026), which outlines a holistic, multisectoral approach to preventing child offending, protecting victims, and promoting rehabilitation and reintegration.
• The Prosecutors Handbook on Sexual Violence, a vital resource for strengthening prosecution of sexual offences through a victim-centred lens.
• The Prosecutors’ Guidelines on the Management of Children in the Criminal Justice System, which ensure children are treated with compassion and fairness at every stage of legal proceedings.
• The Revised National Diversion Framework, which promotes alternatives to formal judicial processes and encourages community involvement in supporting children in conflict with the law.
• The Zambia Police Service Guidelines on the Children’s Code Act No. 12 of 2022, which equip law enforcement officers with procedures for handling child-related cases in line with the Act’s provisions.

Together, these documents reflect Zambia’s commitment to protecting children’s rights and creating a justice system that is rehabilitative, inclusive, and responsive to the unique needs of children. They are essential reading for justice sector professionals, child protection actors, and community leaders working to ensure that every child is given the opportunity to thrive.

All documents are available for reading and download here.