Ton Liefaard

Prof. Ton Liefaard is a Full Professor of Children’s Rights and Head of the Department of Child Law and Health Law at Leiden University. He holds the UNICEF Chair in Children’s Rights (since 2012) and served as Vice Dean of Leiden Law School (2018–2023). His research focuses on children’s rights in detention, juvenile justice, migration, and violence prevention. He teaches courses such as Children’s Rights and International Children’s Rights, and supervises PhD candidates like Lucy Opoka and Eva Huls.

His recent articles address pressing issues like children in conflict zones, Ukraine’s child repatriation challenges, and the evolution of children’s rights frameworks. He leads the Criminal Justice: Societally Effective Criminal Justice research project (2023–2029), exploring fundamental rights protection. His work bridges legal theory and practical policy, emphasizing international collaboration.