Implementation of Juvenile Justice Act in Jammu and Kashmir appears to be gaining ground with as many as 1,341 cases of children in conflict with law ready to be transferred to the Juvenile Justice Boards for adjudication.
This data was revealed at the second roundtable conference jointly organised here recently by the Juvenile Justice Committee of Supreme Court of India, Juvenile Justice Committee of J&K High Court, J&K Government and UNICEF.
Speaking at the conference, Justice (R) Hasnain Masoodi said with implementation of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), the vehicle for implementation of the JJ Act, sponsorship has been sanctioned in 22 cases and more than 1000 others had been identified across the state.
Masoodi is the chairperson of selection and oversight committee monitoring implementation of the law in the state.
“The children that have been benefitted by the JJ Act include missing children, abused children, victims of violence, child labour, specially-abled children and victims of trafficking,” he said, adding that the law has been helpful for children in need of care and protection.
“Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Srinagar alone has attended to 674 children during last few months. These children have been restored to their families, shifted to other children’s homes or handed over to fit persons.”
The objective of the second round table conference on JJ Act was to find ways to strengthen the existing legal framework of justice for delinquents in Jammu and Kashmir and to review progress achieved on decisions taken in the first such conference held in Srinagar last year.
“CWC Jammu has also dealt with scores of cases relating to children in need of care and protection. The benefitted children include victims of sexual abuse and child labour including recovery of wages of such victims,” Masoodi said.
The child welfare committees of all other districts have during last few months attended to hundreds of children in need of care and protection, the delegates were informed.
Besides other delegates, the conference was attended by Justice Madan B Lokur, Judge Supreme of India, Justice Deepak Gupta Judge Supreme Court of India and member Supreme Court committee on Juvenile Justice, Chief Judge J&K High Court, Justice Gita Mittal, Advisor to Governor, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, Chief Secretary and Judges of the High Court.
Masoodi said adequate financial support must be provided for better implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act besides strengthening all institutions under the law.
He also advocated constituting a task force to oversee registration and certification of different Child Care Institutions (CCI’s), and establishment of CCI’s including Cradle Reception Centres for abandoned neonates.
The senior jurist said the challenges in the effective implementation of the JJ Act was registration of voluntary and NGO-run children’s homes and mapping of children housed in such homes, as well as sensitising in-charge Dar-ul-ulooms and Madrassas about objectives of the law, and collect base-line data.