Justice on hold for 50k kids as juvenile system strains

Children in conflict with law

- BHAVINI MISHRA.

More than 50,000 children in conflict with the law across the country are still awaiting the outcome of their cases, and over half of these matters were pending before Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) as of October 2023, according to a new India Justice Report.

Only one in four JJBs is operating with the legally required full Bench, the report observes. Meant to respond swiftly to children in conflict with the law, the boards remain hamstrung by structural gaps, incomplete staffing, and weak monitoring.