The two-day seminar on ‘Child protection vis-a-vis Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act 2000 - A Review’ was inaugurated by Justice K M Joseph here on Friday.
The programme, organised by the Human Rights Law Network, saw participants from various parts of the country, including advocates from the High Court of Mumbai and officials of the Child Relief and You (CRY) programme. Justice R Basanth was also present.While delivering the inaugural address, Justice K M Joseph urged the need to make proper laws that are not subject to continual amendments.
“The laws are sometimes made hastily, creating a lot of loopholes. Also, there is an urgent need to incorporate the opinion of legal experts whenever a law is being made,” he said.
CRY director (Advocacy) Vijay Lakshmi stated that in India, there is a vacuum with respect to the follow-up action on children who have been on the wrong side of law. The Juvenile Justice Act 2000, which is currently undergoing a change, has made a critical distinction between children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection. “The children have been institutionalised, however, there are no follow-up measures,” she said.
“Since the government-run homes and institutions form the fulcrum of effective juvenile justice, there needs to be a re-examination of the objectives and the manner of implementation of laws” Vijaya Lakshmi added.
A critical evaluation of the Protection of Children Act against Sexual Offences Act 2012 was held. The Juvenile Justice Act was also discussed.
