Children in Conflict with Law: Indian and International Perspective

47 Pages Posted: 19 Jun 2015 Last revised: 22 Jun 2015

Date Written: June 18, 2015

Abstract

This research paper deals with a host of issues concerning national and international aspects qua the children in conflict with law. Emphasising on the philosophical, legislative and realist aspects vis-à-vis juvenile justice (care and protection of children and minors), the author has adopted the following central line of argument, that is, the current scenario concerning juvenile delinquency cries for incorporation of deterrent aspects, fine tuned, into the rehabilitative and reformative theories of juvenile reprimanding. At the heart of the matter is the Nirbhaya Tragedy, which has forced the legislative canons of the Indian Sovereign State, to stop and think, as to in which direction the juvenile justice system of the country is heading towards, for the state of affairs and circumstances (the ‘sprint’ rise in juvenile crimes) seem bleak enough to capacitate the short-circuiting of the entire criminal justice system in India, thus holding it to ransom.

Author’s Observation: The Juvenile Justice Bill, 2014, has taken an intriguing position; that is, juveniles in the age category of 16-18 years, committing serious or heinous offences are to be tried as adults with no death penalty or life imprisonment pitted against them. Under the 2000 Act, the position is different; a delinquent juvenile aged 16 years or above, accused of a heinous crime is to be placed by the Juvenile Justice Board in an institution called ‘place of safety’ for a period of 3 years. If we go by the logic of the present Act (the 2000 Act), the juvenile accused (aged 17 years) in the Nirbhaya case, although was most brutal, aggressive, animal-like and maniacal in the commission of rape and murder of the 23-years-old; he (the accused), as per the provisions of the 2000 Act, should be kept in the ‘place of safety’ for a period of 3 years and then should be released with a legal presumption that the accused has been reformed. If, however, the juvenile accused was of 18 years of age, then it was open for the State to have tried him as an adult, levying against him the death penalty. This, with greatest respect is illogical and more-so in the nature of a legal absurdity. The approach of the Proposed Bill (the 2014 Bill) is sound, for it states that the Juvenile Justice Board, for an accused in the age category of 16-18 years, will decide on a case-by-case basis, whether the accused should be treated as a child or as an adult. The Board, aided by a team of experts will decide this based on the assessment of mental state of the accused.

Suggested Citation

Goel, Shivam, Children in Conflict with Law: Indian and International Perspective (June 18, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2620325 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2620325

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