Somalia Launches Juvenile Justice Act to Protect and Rehabilitate Young People

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia has formally launched its Juvenile Justice Act, marking a step towards strengthening protections for children and young people in the justice system and shifting greater emphasis towards rehabilitation and reintegration.

Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh attended the national launch and said the new framework should help ensure that young people in conflict with the law are protected, supported and given opportunities to return to society.

Hosh said adopting legislation was only the beginning, stressing that Somalia also needed institutions capable of responding to the challenges facing young people and protecting those at risk of being left behind.

The law places juvenile justice within Somalia’s broader efforts to strengthen the rule of law and build accountable state institutions.

Its implementation is expected to require greater institutional capacity, trained personnel and appropriate procedures for dealing with children and young people within the justice system.

The government has presented the legislation as part of its wider state-building agenda, with the protection and development of Somalia’s younger generation placed at the centre of efforts to strengthen national institutions.

The launch also highlights the need to balance accountability with rehabilitation, particularly for vulnerable young people whose circumstances may expose them to crime, exploitation or other risks.

The challenge for Somalia now is to translate the new legal framework into effective practice across the country and ensure that institutions responsible for juvenile justice have the resources and capacity to implement it.