Independent Representation of the Child in Private Law Proceedings: A Comparative Model Proposal for Turkish Law

Öz

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Child Representation
• The Best Interests of the Child
• The Child's Right to Participate
• The Right of the Child to be Heard

ÖZEL HUKUK YARGILAMALARINDA ÇOCUĞUN BAĞIMSIZ TEMSİLİ: TÜRK HUKUKU İÇİN KARŞILAŞTIRMALI MODEL ÖNERİSİ

Öz

Under the Turkish criminal justice system, the appointment of mandatory defence counsel is required for persons under the age of eighteen, thereby providing an important safeguard for the effective protection of children in criminal proceedings. By contrast, Turkish law provides no comparable safeguard in private law disputes—such as custody, contact, and maintenance proceedings—that directly affect the child’s best interests and personal life. Although the child is both directly affected by the outcome of such proceedings and the holder of the rights requiring protection, the child’s views and interests are generally conveyed to the court through social inquiry reports and, where appropriate, by judicial hearing. In the absence of independent legal representation, however, the child risks being treated merely as an object rather than as a rights-holder and participant in proceedings directly concerning them. Against this background, this study takes as its normative framework the principle of the best interests of the child enshrined in Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the child’s right to be heard guaranteed under Article 12. It comparatively examines child-representation models in Germany, England, and the United States, identifies deficiencies in the existing Turkish legal framework, and proposes a model designed to ensure the child’s independent representation in private law proceedings concerning them.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çocuğun Temsili
• Çocuğun Üstün Yararı
• Çocuğun Katılım Hakkı
• Çocuğun Dinlenilme Hakkı

Kaynakça

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