CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 28
Plain English recommendation
Government should: (a) Do more to prevent non-statutory stop-and-search checks being used against children; ban their use in Northern Ireland; and remove parts of the Public Order Bill that would make it easier for these checks to be used; (b) Where stop-and-search checks on children are allowed by law, ensure they are used in a proportionate way that does not discriminate against anyone, including by putting into practice the ‘best use of stop-and-search’ scheme and training all law enforcement officials; (c) Collect and publish better information on how stop and search is being used on children, and investigate all alleged cases of disproportionate or discriminatory use.
Original UN recommendation
The Committee remains concerned about the continued use of unnecessary stop-and-search checks on children, and that the majority of them are conducted on children belonging to ethnic minority groups. Recalling its previous recommendations, the Committee urges the State party to: (a) Effectively enforce the prohibition of the use of non-statutory stop-and-search checks against children, prohibit their use in Northern Ireland, and remove provisions from the Public Order Bill that ease restrictions on their use; (b) Ensure that their statutory use is proportionate and non-discriminatory, including by implementing the best use of stop-and-search scheme, and conducting mandatory training for law enforcement officials; (c) Improve the monitoring of the use of stop-and-search checks on children, including through the collection and publication of related data, and investigate all allegations of their disproportionate or discriminatory use on children.
Date of UN examination
18/05/2023
UN article number
7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Original UN document
Download the original CRC concluding observations 2023 on the UN website.