Instrumentos jurídicos de proteção às crianças: do passado ao presente

• Main Authors: Maria João Gonçalves, Ana Isabel Sani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra 2013-12-01
• Series: e-cadernos ces
• Subjects: rights; children; legislation; participation
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/eces/1728

Children’s rights have been under increasing attention, most notably since 1959, when the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was enacted. However, only on January 26th, 1990, was this declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and ratified by 192 countries, including Portugal. Notwithstanding, in Portugal legislation to protect children and youngsters has been in place since 1911, although operated by a State that promoted a patronizing and welfarist justice. Meanwhile, and as time goes by a change in mentalities favoring legislative reform has occurred, which allows us to affirm today that children and young people are better protected, with further rights enabling them to participate in matters of their concern and no longer suffering from a biased status as minors, regardless of having reached, or not, the legal age of civil majority.