Towards Child-Centred Justice as a System-Level Paradigm Shift: Conceptualising a New Framework Through the Scottish Whole System Approach

Al Nashif N (2024) UN Office of the high commissioner for human rights keynote contribution. In: Global conference on justice for children deprived of liberty, Geneva, 17–19 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU7olR-Chqg (Beginning at timestamp: 1:37:30).

April K Glynn H Schrader SW Gordon DM (2023) Conceptualizing juvenile justice reform: Integrating the public health, social ecological, and restorative justice models. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice 73: 100612.

Burman M McVie S (2017) Getting It Right for Every Child? Juvenile Justice in Scotland; International Handbook of Juvenile Justice. Cham: Springer.

Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act (2024) Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Davidson J Foussard C Goudie A Hope K Shields S (2022) Justice for Children: Agenda for Action. Glasgow: University of Strathclyde.

Davidson J Shields S Goudie A (2026) How people-centered justice matters for children. In: Global Perspectives on People-Centered Justice: Exploring the Evidence. American Bar Association. accepted/in press.

Dyer F (2025) Developing evidence-based practice: Collaborations between researchers and policymakers/ practitioners in reforming youth justice. Reimagining custody for children in Scotland. Available at: https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/prison-service-journal-278

Dyer F Foussard C Pérez Cruz M (2025) The three pillars of child-centred justice. Law Gazette, 26 September, Practice Points Section. Available at: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice-points/the-three-pillars-of-child-centred-justice/5124589.article

Fixen D Blasé K Van Dyke M (2019) Implementation Practice & Science. Chapel Hill, NC: Active Implementation Research Network.

Foussard C Gil González M Pérez Cruz M (2025) Advancing Child-Centred Justice: Preventing and Responding to Violence Affecting Children in Child Justice Systems (Policy Brief). Madrid: Global Initiative on Justice with Children.

Gibson R Vaswani N Dyer F (2025) Supporting practice in Scotland: Lessons from the children and young people’s centre for justice. In: Price J Creaney S (eds) Knowledge and Skills Partnerships in Youth Justice. London: Routledge, 97–111.

Global Initiative on Justice With Children (GIJWC) (2025) Global Declaration on Advancing Child-Centred Justice. Available at: https://justicewithchildren.org/en/resource/2025-global-declaration-advancing-child-centred-justice-F

Goldson B Cunneen C Russell S Brown D Baldry E Schwartz M Briggs D (2021) Youth Justice and Penality in Comparative Context. London: Routledge.

Kilbrandon Committee (1964) Children and Young Persons, Scotland. Edinburgh: HMSO.

Lightowler C (2020) Rights Respecting? Scotland’s Approach to Children in Conflict with the Law. Glasgow: Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice.

Lynch N Liefaard TC (2020) What is left in the ‘too hard basket’? Developments and challenges for the rights of children in conflict with the law. International Journal of Children’s Rights. Epub ahead of print 10 March. DOI: 10.1163/15718182-02801007.

McAra L McVie S (2022) Causes and impact of offending and criminal justice pathways: Follow-up of the Edinburgh study cohort at age 35. Report, Nuffield Foundation, London, March.

Murray K McGuinness P Burman M McVie S (2015) Evaluation of the Whole System Approach to Young People Who Offend in Scotland. Glasgow: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research.

OECD (2023) OECD Child-Friendly Justice Framework. Paris: OECD Publishing.

OHCHR (2019) UNCRC general comment no 24 on children’s rights in the child justice system. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/general-comment-no-24-2019-childrens-rights-child

Scottish Executive (2005) Getting It Right for Every Child: Proposals for Action. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

Scottish Government (2017) Whole System Approach to Youth Justice. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

SCRA (2022) Children Aged 12 to 15 Years Involved in Offending and Referred to the Children’s Reporter and Procurator Fiscal in Scotland. Edinburgh: SCRA.

Skelton A Leifard T Davidson J Foussard C Shields S Ozah K Perez M (2025) Global declaration on advancing child-centred justice. Available at: https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/308538584/Global-Declaration-on-Advancing-Child-Centred-Justice-2025.pdf (accessed 30 January 2026).

UN (2015) Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication

Vaswani N Dyer F Lightowler C (2018) What Is Youth Justice? Reflections on the 1968 Act. Edinburgh: Social Work Scotland.

World Justice Project (2021) What Is People-Centred Justice? Washington, DC: World Justice Project.