Workshop on Juvenile Justice System in Action held at CUK
Ganderbal: School of Legal Studies (SLS), Central University of Kashmir (CUK) organized a day long workshop on “Juvenile Justice System in Action: Policy, Police and Practices,” on Wednesday
The workshop was part of a programme series that have been organized under the auspices of Legal-Aid-Clinic-for-Juveniles established under a project sanctioned by the Department of Justice, Government of India.
Dean, School of Legal Studies, Prof. Farooq Ahmad Mir, welcomed both online and offline guests including Justice Madan B. Lokur, former judge, Supreme Court of India, Justice Ali Mohammad Magray, Judge, J&K High Court and Chairman, Juvenile Justice Committee, Prof. Francis Shen McKnight Presidential, Fellow Harvard University and Executive Director, Education & Outreach for MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience, USA and Ms Soledad Herrero, Chief, Child Protection UNICEF-India.
Prof. Francis Shen who was the first keynote speaker talked about the emerging field of Law and Neuroscience and discussed how the neuro-scientific evidences are helping in the adjudication of the criminal cases in US and Europe. In the light of a few cases, he discussed nuances and niceties of the field and highlighted how these cases have the potential to change the landscape of the criminal justice system in general and juvenile justice system in particular.
Ms Soledad Herrero Chief, Child Protection UNICEF-India delivered the second keynote address and gave a bird’s eye view of the juvenile justice act in India, highlighting how the protection and welfare of juveniles intersects with the other related issues like child labour, child marriage etc. She discussed the importance of placing the child at the centre stage of the juvenile justice system and advocated how the legal systems should ultimately work for the protection of the best interests of the children.
Guest of Honor, Justice Ali Mohammad Magray, emphasized that there is no duty more important than protection of the child rights as children constitute the soul of the nation. He deliberated upon the processes and procedures of the juvenile justice system in India and highlighted some of the practical problems that show up during the negotiation of juvenile cases. He laid stress on the working of a harmonious relationship between the police and the youth.
Raising some pertinent questions, Chief Guest, Justice Madan B. Lokur, spoke on strengthening the juvenile justice system in India and said that scholars and practitioners of juvenile justice system need to ask what has been done so far and what is being done and evaluate the sufficiency of their answers to these questions. He dissected the word CARE when it comes to child care and protection.
Justice Madan elaborated on the multi-dimensionality of the term “Care” and gave a kaleidoscopic analysis of this term by highlighting various shades that come under its ambit. He emphasized on the training and child sensitivity of the officers who are working in the Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Protection Committees and Shelter Homes. He highlighted the vital role that universities can play in conducting the necessary researches and field studies and thereby enhancing the efficacy and efficiency of the Juvenile Justice System further.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din in his address praised SLS for organizing such events and informed the participants that School of Legal Studies has managed and arranged a closed contact with society and has always taken active interest in the community outreach related activities. He thanked the Ministry of Justice, Government of India, for granting the project to the Department of Law and appreciated how under the project a number of juveniles have been acquitted, bailed out and counseled.
Prof. Srikirshna Deva Roa, Vice Chancellor, National Law University Delhi & Mr. Shailesh Srivatava, Director, Access to Justice, Department of Justice Ministry of Law and Justice were chief guests in the valedictory function.
During the workshop, the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material pertaining to juvenile justice laws was also released.
KV News
