The Basis of the State’s Civil Liability toward Harmed Children: A Comparative Study with English Law
Keywords:
State Civil Liability, State, Bases of Civil Liability, Harmed Children, CompensationAbstract
The principle of the personal nature of liability is one of the fundamental principles governing all forms of legal liability. Accordingly, every person, including the state, is responsible for their own acts and, in particular, their own wrongful conduct. In view of the extensive obligations that states bear toward children pursuant to their social and political duties, responsibilities inherent in governance, customary norms, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a state that fails to fulfill its duties may be held liable to compensate for the resulting harm. This study examines the national legal system and, comparatively, the legal system of England as a leading legal system in the protection of children’s rights, with the aim of identifying and analyzing the basis or bases of the state’s civil liability toward harmed children. By identifying the similarities and differences between the two legal systems in this area, the study seeks to provide a clearer assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of domestic law. Although fault constitutes one of the principal bases of civil liability in both legal systems, and compensation for harm suffered by children has thus far been approached, to a greater or lesser extent, on the basis of fault-based state liability, it appears that the state’s liability in this field, particularly within the national legal system, may also be established and conceptualized on the basis of strict liability.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Amin Fekri (Author); Sayyed Mohsen Hoseini Pouya (Corresponding author); Roohollah Akhoundi Roshanavand (Author)
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