Government
Gogu proposes four safeguards for questioned minors: a rights form and a lawyer without delay
The justice minister presented the measures at the National Council for Children, while the 2027–2030 juvenile justice strategy is in public consultation until Nov. 22.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 30, 2026, 19:06 · Updated 19:02 · 1 min read
In brief
- The measures include a rights form in language children understand, a lawyer without delay and early notification of a child protection worker.
- Gogu also proposed shared inter-institutional data on how these safeguards are applied.
- The ministry is working to turn the juvenile institute into a model focused on education and rehabilitation.
Justice Minister Toni Gogu on Friday proposed four measures to strengthen procedural safeguards for minors who come into contact with law enforcement. He presented them at a meeting of the National Council for Children's Rights and Protection as part of the government's response to the violence of recent weeks.
The four measures
The proposals provide for a rights form, written in language children can understand, to be handed to them before questioning; a guaranteed lawyer without delay for a minor being questioned, in line with the law; early notification of a child protection worker; and shared data among institutions on how these safeguards are applied. “Peaceful protest is protected. Violence carries responsibility. In this response, the Ministry of Justice holds a special part: the child,” Gogu said.
The 2027–2030 strategy
The minister said the draft Cross-Sector Juvenile Justice Strategy 2027–2030, prepared with UNICEF assistance, is in public consultation until Nov. 22. He proposed that children themselves be included in the consultation, linking the initiative to Nov. 20, World Children's Day.
According to Gogu, the ministry is working to transform the juvenile institute into a model centered on education, rehabilitation and return to the family, while plans to prevent violence in schools are being drafted together with the ministries of Education, Interior and Health. “A child who has done wrong should come out of the encounter with justice with schooling, a profession and the family nearby, not with one more file,” he said.
