Making Meaningful the Right to Appeal under the Convention on the Rights of the Child

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees every child found to be in violation of the penal law a right to appeal from the finding and measures imposed to a higher and impartial authority or judicial body. Nevertheless, this provision garnered a number of reservations, many of which are still in force. This paper examines not only those countries that still refuse to recognise the right but also examines data suggesting that the right to appeal may be illusory even when no declaration or reservation was made. The paper argues for a change in the requirements for reporting information to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, whilst also making some suggestions to guarantee the right on the national level.