The Juvenile Justice System in India: A Brief Overview

Authored by: Teena Thomas

Research Assistance by: Diksha Pandey

Edited by: Kausumi Saha

The Indian legal system has long established a rehabilitative response to juvenile crimes. However, with the passing of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, a shift was made towards a more punitive approach for effectively curbing juvenile crimes. The 2015 Act allowed for children between the ages of 16 to 18 years to be tried as adults, albeit only in cases of heinous crimes. This issue brief discusses the motivations of the Indian political and legal systems behind affecting such a shift and the merit, if any, of moving away from a reformative approach when dealing with children in conflict with the law.

Read the paper here.