HRJust

Human Rights Justifications

News

Latest updates, policy briefs, and findings from the HRJust project.

  • HRJust Coordinator Co-Signs Joint Civil Society Appeal on the Age of Criminal Responsibility

    Together with leading Swedish child rights and civil society organizations. The article urges the Swedish government to reconsider proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility for children. Lowering the age of criminal responsibility risks shifting focus away from addressing the root causes of children’s involvement in crime, such as social vulnerability, exclusion, and lack…

  • Seminar on the Dual Role of Social Services

    On 3 June, Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner (SKR) organized a seminar examining how Swedish social services are currently navigating diverging policy directions. A new Social Services Act, entering into force on 1 July, emphasizes early, preventive, and knowledge-based support, while other ongoing policy developments point toward more repressive approaches. This dual development places new demands…

  • Consortium-wide Workshop, 26–28 May

    HRJust held its consortium-wide synthesizing workshop in Stockholm at Stockholm University, bringing together representatives from Work Packages 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. The meeting served as an opportunity for partners to jointly review progress made during the past two years of collaboration and to align priorities for the final phase of the project. During…

  • Global Child and Adolescent Health Preparatory Seminar Held Ahead of 2025 Conference

    On 20 May, a cross-faculty and cross-sectoral preparatory seminar was organised in advance of the upcoming Global Child and Adolescent Health Round Table & Conference, scheduled to take place on 9–10 October 2025 at Jonsered Manor. The seminar gathered participants to begin shaping discussions and perspectives ahead of the conference, creating space for dialogue across…

  • Meeting on Inquiry Procedures and the Use of Human Rights Justifications

    A seminar organised by University of Gothenburg and Stockholm University brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss how human rights arguments are used in investigative and decision-making procedures within public administration. The meeting, held within the framework of the HRJust project, focused on how states invoke human rights and children’s rights when justifying policies and…

  • HRJust Participation in Conference at EUI, Florence

    On 14–15 May, University of Helsinki, led by Professor Tuomas Ojanen, organised a conference at the European University Institute in Florence, where HRJust took part alongside a wide range of participating scholars. The event provided a valuable setting for exchange and dialogue, enabling participants to explore shared research interests and identify themes that cut across…

  • Children’s Rights in Practice – How Do We Get It Right?

    Tomas Aronson Ylipää, Secretary General of the national youth organisation Unga Örnar, recently met with HRJust lead researcher Professor Maria Grahn-Farley, for a discussion on children’s rights and how laws affecting children are applied in practice. Their conversation focused on how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and related legislation shape decisions…

  • Grahn-Farley, Maria, Child Rights, Legal Theory and Social Advocacy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024)

    This publication by HRJust Project Coordinator, Professor. Maria Grahn-Farley explores how child rights are evolving in today’s shifting political and legal landscape, offering both a foundational overview and a critical perspective on their role in society. Child Rights, Legal Theory and Social Advocacy offers both an introduction to the field of child rights and a…

  • Workshop in Stockholm

    On 7 and 8th of December a workshop was held at Stockholm University with members of WP2, WP4 and WP5 addressing mapping of States’ use of Human Rights Justification and the coming years work in this respect.

  • Nordic Rule of Law Forum 2024

    On the 6th of December 2024, The Nordic Rule of Law Forum was co hosted between HRJust and Civil Rights Defenders addressing in Stockholm.The Nordic Rule of Law Forum is hosted as the national annual Human Right Event in the Nordics where the Vice President of the European Court of Human Rights Justice Arnfinn Bårdsen…