13—Charter of Rights for Children and Young People in Care
(1) The Guardian for
Children and Young People must prepare and maintain a Charter of Rights for
Children and Young People in Care .
(2) The Guardian for
Children and Young People—
(a) may
vary the Charter at any time; and
(b) must
review the Charter at least every 5 years.
(3) In preparing,
varying or reviewing the Charter, the Guardian for Children and Young People
must invite submissions from, and consult with, to such extent as may be
reasonable, interested persons (including persons who are, or have been, under
the guardianship, or in the custody, of the Minister or the Chief Executive)
with a view to obtaining a wide range of views in relation to the matters
under consideration.
(4) The Guardian for
Children and Young People must submit the Charter or variation to the Minister
for approval.
(5) The Minister
may—
(a)
approve the Charter or variation; or
(b)
require an alteration to the Charter or variation, after consultation with the
Guardian for Children and Young People, and then approve the Charter or
variation as altered.
(6) The Charter, and
any variation, has effect from the day on which it is approved by the
Minister.
(7) The Minister must
cause the Charter to be published on a website determined by the Minister.
(8) The Minister must,
within 6 sitting days after approving the Charter or variation, cause a copy
of the Charter, or the Charter as varied, (as the case requires) to be laid
before both Houses of Parliament.
(9) Each person or
body engaged in the administration, operation or enforcement of a relevant law
must, to the extent that it is consistent with section 7 to do so in a
particular case, exercise their powers and perform their functions so as to
give effect to the Charter.
(10) However, the
Charter does not create legally enforceable rights or entitlements.
(11) To avoid doubt,
the requirements under this section apply to the Court.
(12) For the purposes
of this section, a reference to a variation of the Charter will be taken to
include a reference to the substitution of the Charter.
(13) In this
section—
"relevant law" means—
(a) this
Act; and
(b) the
Family and Community Services Act 1972 ; and
(c) any
Act relating to the detention of a youth in a training centre; and
(d) any
other Act declared by the regulations to be included in the ambit of this
definition.