Srinagar, June 18: The Division Bench of High Court has directed the state government to implement Juvenile Justice Act in letter and sprit.
 The DB comprising of Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain and Muzaffar Hussain Attar directed the state government through chief secretary S S Kapur to take all necessary steps under the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act to implement the Act within a period of 3-months.
 The DB took serious note of the government’s failure to implement the Act even after 12 years of its enforcement in the state. “Even though the Act was passed in 1997, and its rules were framed in 2007, the provisions of the Act and the rules have not been implemented yet. Government has not taken any steps to set up Juvenile Homes, Observation Homes and Juvenile Courts,” the Court observed.
 The judgment came in response to two separate Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed by social activist Abdul Rashid Hanjura and a law student Yawar Ali to implement JJ Act and its rules in the state.
 In utter disregard to constitutional and statutory obligations government had failed to implement the Act, Yawar Ali said, adding that government should be directed to constitute Juvenile Welfare Board.
 He had also sought directions to the government to shift the juveniles presently lodged in Jammu prisons to the institutions set up under the JJA for their protection and welfare.
 Hanjura through his PIL sought implementation of JJA-1997 and directions to the government to provide details of the cases pending in all courts against the juvenile offenders. He also sought details of the juveniles lodged in different jails of the state.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST