The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 comes into force

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 came into force 15 January 2016. In this regard, Union Ministry of Woman and Child Development has issued orders for enforceable of Act. The Act had received President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent on December 31, 2015 after it was passed by the Parliament. 

Key features of  Act 

• Aims at ensuring protection, proper care, development and social reintegration of children in difficult circumstances by adopting a child-friendly approach. 
• Permits trying of juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18 years as adults for heinous offences. 
• Establishment of Child Welfare Committees (CWC) along with Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) in each district. 
• Empowers JJB to examine the nature of crime and decide whether it was committed as a child mind or as an adult mind. 
• Based upon the preliminary inquiry of JJB, juvenile offender will be either sent for rehabilitation or will be tried as an adult. 
• The CWC will determine institutional care for juvenile in need of care and protection. 
• Prescribes eligibility of adoptive parents and the procedure for adoption. Penalties for cruelty against a child have been prescribed in case of offering a narcotic substance to a child and selling and abduction of a child.