ABSTRACT
The notion of what constitutes the child's rights in court, and the stance taken by his representative, depend to some extent on the child's status in relation to adults. The main argument in favour of equal rights between adults and children is the impossibility of drawing a firm line between the two. The lines drawn at ages 16, 18 and 21, for admission to various sorts of privileges, are fairly arbitrary and justifiable mainly for administrative reasons. There is the political assumption that decision-making for children takes place within a power structure in which adults have full control. The systemic theory depends heavily for its justification on a notion of family health and well-being. It differs from the political view in that it sees no intrinsic difference between children and adults on the basis of which adults are fit to rule.
