New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): This weekend, the Supreme Court will conduct a two-day national consultation aimed at reviewing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, as it marks ten years since its enactment. The goal is to assess its implementation and to determine priorities for enhancing child protection and juvenile justice systems in the future.
The consultation will kick off on October 10, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and organized by the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee in collaboration with UNICEF India.
Entitled “Ten Years of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Progress, Challenges and Priorities for the Next Decade,” this event will convene judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts, along with senior government officials and child protection specialists, to evaluate how the law has been enforced and to discuss existing system deficiencies.
Justice BV Nagarathna, a Supreme Court judge and chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee, will provide the opening remarks, followed by introductory comments from Cynthia McCaffrey, the Country Representative for UNICEF India.
A significant aspect of the inaugural session will be the unveiling of a compilation featuring key Supreme Court and High Court rulings related to the Juvenile Justice Act, covering judgments made from 2015 to September 2026.
The agenda will cover various topics, including the rights of children who are in conflict with the law, assessments by Juvenile Justice Boards in serious crime cases, adoption processes, institutional care, and the rehabilitation of at-risk children.
Technical sessions will delve into how the Act has been applied across different States and Union Territories, with representatives from Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal expected to share their insights and best practices.
Discussions will also aim at enhancing coordination between institutions, fortifying child-friendly justice systems, and ensuring effective rehabilitation and integration of children into society.
The consultation will wrap up on October 11, featuring special comments from Milen Kidane, UNICEF India’s Chief of Child Protection, and a notable address by Anil Malik, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. Closing remarks will be delivered by Justice JB Pardiwala, a Supreme Court judge and committee member.
This consultation aims to set priorities for the upcoming decade, emphasizing the need for greater institutional accountability and ensuring that children have access to necessary care, protection, and justice.
