37. States Parties shall ensure that:
a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life
imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences
committed by persons below eighteen years of age;
b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or
arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in
conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and
for the shortest appropriate period of time;
c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity
and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which
takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular, every
child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered
in the child’s best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain
contact with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in
exceptional circumstances;
d) Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right
to prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance, as well as the right
to challenge the legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty before a
court or other competent, independent and impartial authority, and to a prompt
decision on any such action.