Mumbai: Honourable Supreme Court of India’s Justice- Madan B. Lokur said that the Juvenile Justice Act as amended in the year 2015 is “complicated” and needs to be thoroughly discussed. The Justice- Madan B. Lokur was found stating this while speaking at the Two-day second roundtable of the Western Region Consultation on Juvenile Justice at the Maharashtra State Judicial Academy in uttan near Bhayander. He also found stated on day before yesterday, i.e. on Sunday.
Moreover, he said that the very complicated affair in the adult criminal justice system is “Sentencing” in deciding the issue that whether the accused be sentenced to death or to be awarded with the life imprisonment or the Quantum of years as punishment. Moreover, as per Justice- Lokur, in the new Juvenile Justice Act (2015) the issues of sentencing has been made more complicated. Thus, the considering one another issue, the Justice- Lokur found stating that the issues to be “thoroughly and threadbare” as the same will be having a “long- term implications”. He further added that if a child is taken who does not deserve to be sent to the adult criminal justice system, then he will surely be in great trouble.
The said event in Mumbai was organized by the honourable Supreme Court’s and Bombay High Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee along with the Maharashtra Ministry for Women and Children Development and also UNICEF. The Issue was taken for discussion in the event, was of ‘rehabilitation and restoration of juveniles’.
It is notable that the Parliament in the last year, has passed an amended Juvenile Justice Act to replace the Previous Law on this topic. The Amended Law is providing provisions against the child who have committed heinous offences, and has completed or above the age of 16 years, in such cases, the Juvenile Justice Board is required to conduct a preliminary assessment with regard to his mental and physical capacity to commit such offence, and also assess the circumstances and ability of such minor to understand the circumstances of the offence, for determining that whether such minor has to be sentenced for reassessment at turning 21 years or not. Moreover, there are other provisions relating to the acts of the juveniles which the Act sought to make crime.
Adv. Faim Khalilkhan Pathan