Jurists, legal professionals, technology experts and child rights practitioners from over 40 countries convened for a global webinar on Advancing the Rule of Law for Children in the Digital Age, organised by Jurists for Children Worldwide (JCW), a joint initiative of the World Jurist Association and Just Rights for Children.

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The webinar examined how the rule of law can better protect children from emerging digital risks, with a focus on preventing online harm, strengthening platform accountability and ensuring that children's rights remain protected as technology evolves.

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Opening Remarks

The session opened with remarks from Javier Cremades García, Co-founder of JCW and President of the World Jurist Association, and Bhuwan Ribhu, Chair and Co-founder of JCW and Founder of Just Rights for Children.

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Javier Cremades emphasised that the rule of law must go beyond formal legal structures to ensure the protection of human dignity, particularly that of children. He called for stronger legislation, international cooperation and greater public participation in addressing crimes against children in digital spaces.

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Bhuwan Ribhu highlighted the opportunities the internet offers children to learn, explore and participate, while underscoring that their fundamental rights must remain protected online. He called for a shift from Safety by Design to Prevention by Design, placing responsibility on digital platforms to prevent harm rather than relying solely on action after a crime has occurred.

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Together, their remarks reinforced the need to ensure that the protections available to children in the physical world extend equally to digital spaces.

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Expert Discussion

A moderated discussion, chaired by Dr Geeta Sekhon, Advisor, JCW, brought together legal and technological perspectives on strengthening online child protection:

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• Mathilde Cerioli, Co-founder and Chief Scientist of everyone.AI and Chief Scientist of iRAISE, examined the risks emerging from children's interactions with AI, particularly conversational technologies. She highlighted the need for evidence-based safety standards, greater responsibility from technology companies and collaboration among researchers, governments, practitioners and young people in developing safer digital products.

• Rachna Tyagi, Partner at Ethicus Legal, explored Strategic Litigation for Children’s Digital Safety: An Indian Blueprint for Jurists Worldwide. Drawing on the Supreme Court of India's landmark 2024 judgment in Just Rights for Children Alliance & Anr. v. S. Harish & Ors. and its subsequent October 2026 order, she examined how strategic litigation can strengthen the detection, removal and mandatory reporting of child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM), establish enforceable responsibilities for digital platforms and advance children's protection online.

 

The discussion highlighted the importance of moving beyond voluntary safety commitments towards enforceable responsibilities across the digital ecosystem. It also underscored how legal frameworks, technological research and practical experience can work together to prevent harm, while encouraging jurists across jurisdictions to exchange legal approaches and strengthen collective action to protect children online.