Juvenile Delinquency: A Critical Analysis Of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

Ahana Majumder, Symbiosis Law School Nagpur

ABSTRACT

Children are an asset to our nation, so we need to ensure that they are protected and given opportunities for their overall development. They play a vital role in every society. A society's backbone is its youth. The protection of children's rights is the primary goal of juvenile justice. The main objective of juvenile justice is prevention; detention is only a last option. The violent gang rape case in Delhi on December 16, 2012, fundamentally altered the juvenile justice system as it exists now. The Juvenile Justice (care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015 was passed in response to the national uproar over the release of the juvenile offender in State v. Ram Singh & Ors (also known as the Nirbhaya case). NGOs that defend children's rights and social care providers have clashed constantly for the rights of juveniles. In this article, the researcher has carefully and critically examined various sections of the “Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015” and the facts relating to “juvenile justice” in India. The outcomes of this research establish how far the “Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015” has been effective in reaching its object and providing probable solutions to the problems identified.

Keywords: Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile offenders, Child in conflict with law, rehabilitation, age of criminal liability.