Open Access Research Article

JUVENILE JUSTICE IN INDIA: CHILD-FRIENDLY SAFEGUARDS AND THE CHALLENGE OF SYMBOLIC COMPLIANCE

Author(s):
MANDHIR SINGH SHIVANI SACHAN SWATI CHAUHAN
Journal IJLRA
ISSN 2582-6433
Access Open Access
Volume 3
Issue 7
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Abstract

Children require a legal framework that places their best interests at the centre of judicial processes, rather than merely offering protection on the basis of their young age or vulnerability. In India, various legal provisions have been established to safeguard the rights, dignity, and well-being of children who come into contact with the justice system, whether as victims, witnesses, or alleged offenders. These measures seek to ensure that children are treated sensitively and respectfully throughout legal proceedings. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provide important statutory safeguards in this regard. In addition, judicial decisions have increasingly strengthened the recognition of child-sensitive procedures, reflecting India's broader commitment to the principles of international child rights law. A grim reality, however, emerges from a closer look at the actual situation: these laws' spirit is frequently undermined during execution. Child-friendly facilities are frequently either completely absent or only partially used in courtrooms. Procedural delays deprive children of prompt redress, and police officers continue to lack adequate training in child psychology. The very mechanisms designed to keep children safe can and frequently do retraumatize them by making them relive their experiences in insensitive, alienating settings. Even with obligatory facilities for in-camera trials, special courts, and support personnel, numerous adolescents are nonetheless subjected to the burden of silence and the harshness of cross-examination. A crucial question is raised by this discrepancy between legal theory and practical reality: Is India's child-friendly justice system genuinely based on reformative compassion, or are they merely token gestures intended to meet legislative checklists? Through legislative review, case laws and international instruments, this article explores the procedural, psychological, and systemic flaws that prevent reformation and rehabilitation of children in conflict with law, i.e. juveniles.

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Authors: MANDHIR SINGH, SHIVANI SACHAN & SWATI CHAUHANRegistration ID: 1013357 | Published Paper ID: IJLRA13357, IJLRA13358 & IJLRA13359Year: Oct-2026 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 7Approved ISSN: 2582-6433 | Country: Delhi, IndiaPage No.: 1134- 1147

Article Information

JUVENILE JUSTICE IN INDIA: CHILD-FRIENDLY SAFEGUARDS AND THE CHALLENGE OF SYMBOLIC COMPLIANCE

Authors: MANDHIR SINGH, SHIVANI SACHAN, SWATI CHAUHAN

  • Journal IJLRA
  • ISSN 2582-6433
  • Volume 3
  • Issue 7
Citation Download Paper Full Details Search on Google Search on Google Scholar

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International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis

  • AbbreviationIJLRA
  • ISSN2582-6433
  • AccessOpen Access
  • LicenseCC 4.0

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