Statutory limitations in children’s rights protection under Cameroonian legal systems

Abstract

In terms of Article 1(1) of the of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Charter), state parties are encouraged to recognise the rights, freedoms and duties enshrined in this Charter and to undertake the necessary steps, in accordance with their Constitutional processes and with the provisions of the present Charter, to adopt such legislative or other measures as may be necessary to give effect to the provisions of the African Children’s Charter. Legislation is one of the most powerful instruments a government has to regulate society and protect its citizens within its national territory. It also outlines the rights and responsibilities of individuals and authorities for whom legislation is intended to protect and govern. However, no amount of legislation will have value if there is neither discipline nor enforcement mechanisms, for example, through the establishment of key institutions. This article sets out to evaluate the sufficiency of the laws and institutions with a mandate to protect children’s rights in Cameroon.