The Law is (Not) for Kids: A Legal Rights Guide for Canadian Children and Teens

Product Description In this practical guide to the law for the young people of Canada, Ned Lecic and Marvin Zuker provide an all-encompassing, accurate manual meant to empower and educate youth and those that serve them. As advocates for the rights of children, the authors provide examples of how young people can get their legal rights enforced while also encouraging them to consider whether the rights of youth are sufficient or should be expanded. The Law is (Not) for Kids is the first book to deal with Canadian law and the rights of children and teens that is meant for young readers, however it will also be a valuable resource for teachers, counsellors, lawyers, and all those who support youth when they encounter the law. Review With this book, Zuker and Lecic offer a friendly and positive starting point for young Canadians to learn about their legal rights and how to advocate for themselves. It is this latter point that makes the book unique; it is not just a book for children on how a bill becomes a law. Rather, the authors believe that children are unfairly treated and do not possess adequate rights within Canada’s legal system, and the information in this book is meant to inform the reader to take action. As such, this book is an invaluable resource to which all young people should have ready access, and it should be included in elementary and secondary school libraries, public libraries, and any other library used by adults who work with children -- Angela Gibson ― Canadian Law Library ReviewLecic and Zuker have done a masterful job in producing this invaluable resource for young people in Canada. The authors answer key questions young people have about rights and laws that affect them at home, at school, at work, and in their relationships. Provincial and territorial variations in law are included making the guide relevant to all Canadian children and youth. The discussion is clear and straightforward with no moralistic or patronizing overtones. The information it contains provides an excellent basis for adults and youth to negotiate rules and standards of behavior. In addition to being a useful resource to parents and teachers, I would like to see The Law is (Not) for Kids become a required component of citizenship education for all junior and high school students in Canada. -- Katherine Covell, PhD, Children’s Rights ConsultantThis is an impressive and valuable book on the legal rights and responsibilities of children and youth in Canada. It describes not only what rights children currently have in Canada in fields such as parent-child relations, employment, sex, marriage, and youth justice, but also what rights they should have, using as a guide the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is a highly welcome book, informative, engaging, and written in language accessible for youth. -- R. Brian Howe, Professor Emeritus, Political Science and Children's Rights, Cape Breton UniversityThis book is an important and timely document. The Law is (Not) for Kids is a highly accessible legal manual for young people that apprises them not only of the form and content of Canada’s laws for the young but also what children and youth can expect in terms of their civil liberties, their legal protections, and their ability to influence law and justice. Importantly, while the book speaks directly to young people, it also speaks to a larger public including parents, educators and all levels of judicial officials. A young person’s legal rights document of such clarity and focus has been needed for years and it has finally arrived. -- Bernard Schissel, Professor Emeritus, Royal Roads University and Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan About the Author Ned Lecic is a writer, copy editor, and translator. Marvin Zuker is an associate professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. He served as a Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice from 1978 to 2016 and coau