High Court Juvenile Justice Committee, UNICEF hold consultation on 10 years of JJ Act

Convener News Desk

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Srinagar, September 05: The Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with the support of UNICEF India, organized a one day annual consultation on “Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: A Decade of Implementation and the Way Forward” at the J&K Judicial Academy, Mominabad, Srinagar.

 

The consultation was attended by the Judges of the High Court, Judicial Officers, Principal Magistrates of Juvenile Justice Boards, Chairpersons of Child Welfare Committees, officers of Special Juvenile Police Units, senior officers of concerned departments, Legal Services Authorities, child protection professionals, mental health experts, civil society and academia besides participants joining virtually from Jammu and Ladakh. The consultation reviewed a decade of implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act and identified priorities for strengthening the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection System.

Justice Sindhu Sharma, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Chairperson, Juvenile Justice Committee, in her presidential address, emphasized that a child in conflict with law remains, first and foremost, a child and that the juvenile justice system must remain rooted in fairness, rehabilitation and the developmental needs of children, in keeping with principles reflected in the Beijing Rules. She highlighted the continuing challenge of balancing the reformative approach with concerns arising from serious offences. She stressed the need for adequately resourced institutions, trained personnel, effective data systems and accountability. She observed that while the first decade focused substantially on building the institutional architecture of juvenile justice, the next decade must focus on ensuring that these institutions deliver meaningful, child-centered outcomes and provide every child with dignity, rehabilitation and a genuine opportunity for a better future.

Justice Mohd. Akram Chowdhary, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Member, Juvenile Justice Committee, described the completion of ten years of the Act as an opportunity to objectively assess its implementation. While acknowledging the functioning of Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards across J&K and Ladakh, he emphasized that success must ultimately be measured by its impact on children. He called for stronger infrastructure, trained personnel, continuous capacity building, adequate administrative and financial support, periodic evaluation and improved inter-departmental coordination.

Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal emphasized that juvenile justice extends beyond law and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Reflecting on a decade of the Juvenile Justice Act, he stressed the need to address implementation gaps and strengthen delivery on the ground. He highlighted the concerns regarding children above sixteen years accused of heinous offences, confidentiality of juvenile records and effective functioning of Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees. He also called for child-centric adoption, adequate infrastructure, trained personnel and administrative support, stressing that the Act must be implemented in letter and spirit to ensure protection, rehabilitation, dignity and hope for every vulnerable child.

Jesper Moller, Deputy Representative (Programme), UNICEF India Country Office, described ten years of the Juvenile Justice Act as an important milestone and emphasized the need to assess its impact on children. He highlighted Jammu & Kashmir’s progress in prevention and family-based care, Child-Friendly Spaces, Adolescent Resource Centres, strengthening of Child Care Institutions and training of more than 9,000 frontline workers. He identified prevention, family-based care, institutional coordination, accountability and disability inclusion as key priorities for the next decade.

Earlier, Naseer Ahmed Dar, Director, J&K Judicial Academy and Ex-Officio Member Secretary, Juvenile Justice Committee, welcomed the participants and emphasized that juvenile justice and child protection are shared responsibilities requiring coordinated institutional efforts. He highlighted the key areas of the consultation and called for candid, constructive and solution-oriented deliberations leading to practical recommendations for the 2026–27 Action Plan, keeping the best interests, dignity, safety and rehabilitation of children at the centre.

The consultation was comprised of four sessions. The first, “An Overview of the Implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015,” was chaired by Justice Mohd. Akram Chowdhary. It focused on implementation trends, accountability, child protection service delivery and institutional functioning. Presentations were made by Bashir Ahmad Khan, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, UT of J&K; Dr. Zahida Banoo, Director, Social and Tribal Welfare & Mission Director, Mission Vatsalya, UT of Ladakh and Sharmila Ray, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF India.

The second session, “Rights of Children in Need of Care and Protection,” was chaired by Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal. The deliberations covered vulnerable and out-of-school children, mental health and psychosocial support, legal aid, witness protection, rehabilitation, family-based care and aftercare. The role and coordination of Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units, Special Juvenile Police Units, Child Helplines and District Magistrates were also discussed. Presentations were made by Khalid Majeed, Special Secretary, Department of School Education, J&K; Shazia Tabassum, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority and Abdul Rashid Malik, Senior Additional Advocate General, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Former Member, Juvenile Justice Committee.

The third session, “Preliminary Assessment in Heinous Crimes by Juvenile Justice Boards,” was chaired by Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh. The session examined preliminary assessment under Section 15 of the JJ Act, including child-sensitive assessment, expert assistance, age determination, transfer to the adult justice system and psycho-social factors. Presentations were made by Dr. Sonam Jain, Assistant Professor, National Judicial Academy, Bhopal; Sarah Rizvi (IPS), IGP Crime and UT-level Nodal for Special Juvenile Police Unit and Dr. Rayees Ahmad Wani, Professor, IMHANS, GMC Srinagar.

The fourth session, “Pathways to Permanency: Adoption,” examined adoption from the perspective of the child’s long-term well-being, focusing on case management, timely adoption, monitoring and coordination among Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units, Specialised Adoption Agencies and District Magistrates. Bhavna Saxena, Member Secretary & Chief Executive Officer, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), and Mr. Rajiv Khajuria, Founder and Patron, National Development Foundation, Jammu, made presentations.

The valedictory session focused on consolidating the day’s deliberations and identifying actionable priorities for the 2026–2027 Action Plan. Hilal Ahmad Bhat, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF India, presented the key action points and takeaways. Special concluding remarks were delivered by Justice Sindhu Sharma, Chairperson, Juvenile Justice Committee, followed by vote of thanks by Naseer Ahmed Dar.

The consultation provided a meaningful platform for interdisciplinary and inter-institutional dialogue on implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act and strengthening the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection System, with the dignity, protection, rehabilitation and well-being of every child remaining at its centre.