SBVA4100 Perspectives on legal rights, cooperation, prevention and application of law in the best interest of the child Course description

This course focuses on vulnerable children and adolescents, and their parents’ rights, in a broad sense, so that children can receive the right help at the right time in keeping with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the rights of parents under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The course further provides in-depth knowledge of the legal scope of action in inter-agency cooperation between the child welfare service and various welfare systems (school, kindergarten, child welfare institutions, healthcare etc., and the police/correctional services), and the legal scope of action in the relationship between the Child Welfare Act and the Children Act.

The language of instruction is Norwegian.

None.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge of rules of law for the prevention of behavioural difficulties and neglect (including assistance measures pursuant the Child Welfare Act)
• advanced knowledge of the rights of vulnerable children and adolescents, including the child’s right to participation
• advanced knowledge of parents’ rights after their children have been taken into care
• advanced knowledge of the rules of law governing inter-agency cooperation
• in-depth knowledge of the relationship between the Child Welfare Act and the Children Act

Skills

The student can

• independently identify and analyse legal issues to safeguard the rights of children and parents
• analyse rules of law so that due account is taken of conflicting considerations in assessments
• document legal assessments and decisions in accordance with fundamental prudence and due process protection requirements
• reflect critically on the legitimisation of various coercive measures in relation to vulnerable children and adolescents, and the legal boundaries between coercion and care

General competence 

The student can

• explain the legal basis for the child welfare service’s role and purpose in society 
• safeguard the rights, due process protection and human rights of vulnerable children and adolescents and their parents
• identify and analyse legal grey areas and help to prevent failure and change practice as needed 

The teaching takes place with in-person attendance on campus. Emphasis is placed on problem-based student-active forms of learning with concrete tasks and analyses of judgments in addition to lectures.

The following required coursework must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• Coursework requirement 1: An individual written assignment with a scope of 2,000 words (+/- 10%).

The purpose of the coursework requirement is to practise writing legal texts.

The required coursework must be completed and approved by the stipulated deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If the coursework is not approved, the student will be given the opportunity to submit an improved version once by a given deadline.

The exam in the course is an individual supervised exam of 5 hours.

The following aids are permitted:

• The exam modus of Lovdata Pro.

Grade scale A-F.

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner. At least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded for the papers assessed by two examiners form the basis for determining the level for all the exam papers.

Anniken Sørlie and Tina Gerdts-Andresen