Right to be heard

RA is party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention obliges the state parties to assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child. However, according to RA national legislation and practice it is mandatory to consider the 10-year-old child’s opinion in the matters of his legitimate interests, for example child’s freedoms, participation in certain events, refusal to receive extracurricular education, communication with relatives etc. Consequently, in RA the child has a right to decide on matters affecting him after turning 10.