Introduction and themes

In 1923 Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children, drafted the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Jebb’s Declaration was adopted in 1924 by the League of Nations and became known as the Declaration of Geneva. In 1959 the UN General Assembly adopted the ten point Declaration of the Rights of the Child, a revised and extended version of Jebb’s original Declaration, constituting the first international commitment to children’s civil and political rights and incorporating the guiding principle of working in children’s best interest. On November 20, 1989 government representatives from across the world gathered at the UN General Assembly to formalise an international treaty that would hold nations to a set of rules ensuring that the rights of children are protected. On Youth Day in 1995, President Mandela announced that South Africa officially ratified the CRC — the first international instrument to be ratified by the new democratic government.

In commemorating the 1995 ratification of the UNCRC the University of South Africa, College of Law, is hosting a two-day conference which is premised on a Multi-, Inter- and Transdisciplinary (MIT) approach to reflect comprehensively on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This reflection will occur within the scope of new horizons that impact fundamentally in the area of child rights. These horizons include socio-legal aspects of youth and child gangsterism, socio-legal implications of human trafficking (also regarding children), trends and developments in cybercrime, and new horizons in the application of punishment in the criminal (child) justice system.

Keynote addresses will be delivered by different reputable speakers who are experts in a variety of MIT areas. There will be parallel sessions with papers presented on topics emphasising new trans-disciplinary horizons in the criminal justice system. The University of South Africa, College of Law therefore invites all criminal justice experts, scholars from various disciplines, legal practitioners, policymakers, researchers and other professionals to deliver papers at the conference to be held at the Royal Elephant Hotel, Pretoria, Gauteng from 6 - 7 September 2017. In this regard, a call is made for submission of abstracts in line with the following sub-themes:

Theme 1: Socio-Legal aspects of youth and child gangsterism
States are obliged to protect children against violence wherever it occurs and it is vital that they do so. What happens to children determines society’s attitudes to violence. Protecting them from violence today is crucial to the prevention of violence throughout society in the future.
~ Carol Bellamy, former UNICEF Executive Director
Children’s rights are a common denominator and a wide field of study exists exploring youth and child gangsterism. Multi- and inter-disciplinary research is specifically encouraged. While law is an important symbol and reflects the values of the society in which it is imposed, in the context of youth and child gangsterism, the law must be juxtaposed against the criminogenic environments in which youth and children live and socialize. A detailed analysis of these environments and their intersection with structural poverty, exposure to violence, absence of food, absence of high education levels, absence of employment and laws which have entrenched the social inequality of youth and children, is necessary. Papers contributing to the understanding of the scope and nature of the child gangsterism problem are awaited.

Theme 2: Socio-legal implications of Human Trafficking
The multi-layered complexities inherent to human trafficking as a global phenomenon calls for even-handed wisdom and a variety of perspectives to effectively prevent and combat the crime. The recent addition of South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 7 of 2013, and an increase in media reports and general awareness about the problem is noteworthy. However, the question should be asked: Is this enough? Our South African village is laced with structural inequalities which imbues the economics of supply and demand, whilst official complicity and corruption on all levels of society fundamentally enables and perpetuates the trafficking in human beings. The lack of statistics and integrated information management systems which arrogates the complexity of the phenomenon also exacerbates attempts at a ‘whole’ understanding. Could there be something that we are missing? With this in mind, multi- and interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners are invited to show their interest in delivering papers on the socio-legal implications of human trafficking.

Theme 3: Trends and developments in cybercrime
As the internet comes to underwrite more and more of our daily life, the vectors of attack for cybercriminals, hackers and state officials multiply, the total number of cyber-attacks grows year over year and the potential damage from cyber-attacks increases. Governments, corporations and individuals have prudently responded to these trends by stepping up their cyber defences.
~ Jardine (2015). Global Commission on Internet Governance
Internet offers enormous advantage to criminals because it is easy to use, rapid, of low cost and offers anonymity and/or disguise which allow traffickers to commit their crimes at a reduced risk. It can also bring victims directly to the perpetrators, who do not have to leave their home anymore to find them. Internet knows no borders and this enables offenders to act from a country distant from the victim’s, which may be located on the opposite side of the planet. Cybercrime pose a multitude of threats particularly, the gigantic increase in cybercrimes against children.  Multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary research and collaboration is encouraged.  Papers addressing the phenomenon are waited for consideration.

Theme 4: New Horizons in the application of punishment in the Criminal Justice System
Criminal justice systems undergo transformations over the last decades. Earlier retributive philosophies are increasingly being replaced with restorative justice. Simultaneously, approaches to punishment become more punitive. For example, life imprisonment has increased from ten to twenty-five years and even more. To the contrary is increasingly more interested in restitution than in retribution. These approaches bear witness of a conflict of interest. From the seemingly chaotic situation we experience new horizons in the application of punishment. Against this background researchers and practitioners are requested to show their interest in delivering papers on the new horizons in the application of punishment in the criminal justice system.