Supreme Court to Review 10 Years of Juvenile Justice Act
The Supreme Court and UNICEF India will host a national consultation to assess the Juvenile Justice Act's progress and identify future priorities.
The Supreme Court of India is set to host a significant two-day national consultation this weekend to evaluate the impact and implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Spanning October 10 and 11, the event aims to reflect on a decade of the law's application and chart a course for strengthening child protection mechanisms in India.
Organised by the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee in collaboration with UNICEF India, the consultation is titled “Ten Years of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Progress, Challenges and Priorities for the Next Decade”. The session will be inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
High-Level Deliberations on Child Rights
The consultation will serve as a massive gathering of legal and administrative minds, including judges from the Supreme Court and various High Courts, senior government officials, and renowned child protection experts. The primary objective is to scrutinize the existing legal framework and identify critical gaps that hinder the effective delivery of justice to minors.
Justice BV Nagarathna, a Supreme Court judge and the chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Committee, will deliver the opening remarks. Following her, Cynthia McCaffrey, the UNICEF India Country Representative, will provide introductory insights. A major highlight of the inaugural session will be the unveiling of a compendium of landmark judgments from the Supreme Court and High Courts related to the Act, covering decisions made from 2015 through September 2026.
Key Areas of Focus and State Participation
The discussions are expected to be intensive, covering several sensitive and complex legal areas, including:
- The rights of children who are in conflict with the law.
- Preliminary assessments performed by Juvenile Justice Boards, particularly in cases involving heinous offences.
- Legal procedures regarding adoption.
- The quality of institutional care and the rehabilitation of vulnerable children.
- Strategies for the effective reintegration of children into society.
To ensure a comprehensive understanding of how the law functions on the ground, technical sessions will feature representatives from various States and Union Territories. Experts from Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal will share their specific experiences and best practices.
Shaping the Next Decade of Protection
Beyond reviewing past performance, the consultation seeks to improve coordination between different institutions and enhance child-friendly justice mechanisms. The goal is to ensure institutional accountability so that every child has access to appropriate care and protection.
The two-day event will conclude on October 11. The closing proceedings will feature special remarks from Milen Kidane, UNICEF India Chief of Child Protection, and a special address by Anil Malik, Secretary of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. Justice JB Pardiwala, a Supreme Court judge and member of the Juvenile Justice Committee, will deliver the final closing remarks.