29. 28.13 The Local Courts Act, 2011 establishes the local courts in chiefdoms that are responsible for the administration of customary law as part of the formal justice system, making the rulings subject to appeal processes and limiting the jurisdiction of the courts to less serious criminal and civil matters. 28.14 The Persons with Disability Act, 2011 has been established to ensure compliance with the State’s obligations under the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and secures the rights of all persons with disability, including children, to free education and free medical services, and protection from discrimination in education. 28.15 The Sexual Offences Act, 2012 creates an expanded protective framework for children against a wide range of sexual offences and substantively increases the penalties and sanctions for crimes against children. 28.16 The National Social Protection Policy, 2012 commits to the provision of social protection services, including social security for the ‘chronically poor’ people, persons who are ‘economically at risk’ and those who are ‘socially vulnerable’, such as disadvantaged women and children. The policy prioritizes the needs of children living in extremely poor households. 28.17 The Legal Aid Act, 2012 makes provision for mechanisms to support indigent persons access legal representation. 28.18 The Right of Access to Information Act, 2013 entitles every person, including children, to access to information held by the State or by a private person where such information is required for the protection of their rights. 28.19 The National Child Justice Strategy for Sierra Leone 2014-2018 was launched by the Vice President in 2014. It replaces the 2006 Child Justice Strategy which sought to address child justice through four strategies – prevention, steps to keep children out of the formal criminal justice system, fair and speedy judicial processes for children, and improved human resource capacity and systems. The 2006 strategy was deficient in a number of respects and the 2014 strategy provides the overarching framework for coordinated implementation of child justice reforms aimed at responding to existing realities and national laws and international norms and standards. It provides a statement of the principles of the national child justice system which ensure a balance between public safety and the protection of the rights of children and fulfilment of the State’s obligations in terms of the instruments such as the ACRWC, the CRC and its optional protocols to protect the rights of children in conflict with the law. In addition to the preceding acts, a number of policies and bills are currently in development to further align and strengthen the laws protecting children’s rights in accordance with the requirements of the CRC and the ACRWC. These include: 29.1 The National Alternative Care Policy, 2012 which has been developed to “guide Government, NGOs and communities on the protection of children involved in adoption processes, fostering, independent living or [those] 2.A:General GeneralMeasures MeasuresofofImplementation Implementation | 11 11 