Child Protection and the European Court of Human Rights: Lessons from Norway in the Development and Contestation of Children’s Rights

Article 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights gives children the same protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms as adults. However, there is a notable absence of specific provisions for their rights. What does this imply in practice?

This interdisciplinary volume brings together leading scholars in political science, law, social work and more to examine how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) shapes - and is shaped by - child protection litigation and mobilisation.

Norway has had more child protection cases decided by the ECtHR than any other country, and so this book, a first of its kind, uses Norway as a specific focus and explores the evolving role of the Court in balancing parental rights, state authority and children’s best interests, offering a fresh perspective on the intersection of international human rights law, children’s rights and child protection policy.

Hege Stein Helland is Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Government and the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the University of Bergen.

Siri Gloppen is Professor of Political Science in the Department of Government and the Centre for Law and Social Transformation at the University of Bergen.

Marit Skivenes is Professor of Political Science in the Department of Government and the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the University of Bergen.