The Union Government on
Thursday made it clear that it is not in favour of reducing the age of
juveniles from 18 to 16 years but is proposing changes in processes related to
treatment of heinous offences committed by those in the age group of 16 to 18
years
In a written reply in Rajya
Sabha, Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi said that there
have been demands from many quarters to review the system and framework of
juvenile justice.
"In such cases, the
Juvenile Justice Board may transfer the proceedings to a children's court,
which is a Court of Sessions," the Minister said. She said that in coming
to a decision, the court would be assisted by able psychologists, psycho social
workers and experts.
"The children's court will
conduct an assessment of the physical and mental status capacity of the child
to commit such offence and the circumstances in which the offence was
committed," Maneka Gandhi said.
During the process of inquiry,
trial and after trial, the child will be kept in a place of safety and not in a
jail, she said. She also added that under no circumstances would the sentence
passed by a Court be life imprisonment or death.
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