Latest news with #5thWorldCongressonJusticewithChildren
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Probation must be pillar of juvenile justice, say experts
Recognising probation as a cornerstone of child rehabilitation was the central message of the first-ever national consultation on 'Strengthening Probation in the Juvenile Justice System in India,' held recently at the capital. Organised jointly by the Resource Cell for Juvenile Justice (RCJJ), a field action project of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), and the Department of Social Work, University of Delhi, the event brought together key stakeholders from across 20 States and one union territory. Delivering the keynote address, retired Supreme Court judge and Chairperson of the UN Internal Justice Council, Justice Madan B. Lokur, lamented the neglect of probation in India's juvenile justice system. Justice Lokur said his first contact with probation officers took place in early 2000's in Canada where he had gone for judicial education programme for two weeks. He found that every probation officer there handled 30-35 probationers. He said, in India, probation had not been given the importance it should have been given and that the Probation of Offenders Act had not been properly implemented. He commented on the understaffing in the Indian juvenile justice system, where one probation officer is responsible for 150-500 children. Bharat Parashar, Member Secretary, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) said the system should give every child a second chance, and it should not re-traumatise them. He said NALSA was committed to this cause, and the Probation Officer could go a long way in mentoring children. Held as a satellite event to the recently concluded 5th World Congress on Justice with Children, the consultation saw active participation from principal magistrate, Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB), social work members on the JJB, probation officers, legal-cum-probation officers, deputed government officers, civil society organisations, academicians, research scholars, and a few independent lawyers. Over two days, panel discussions explored the socio-legal dimensions of juvenile justice. The sessions emphasised, 'the need for probation to be acknowledged as a pillar of rehabilitation for children in conflict with the law and strengthen it by looking at concerns like the ratio between probation and probationers, skill sets, and training required'. Prof. Bipin Jojo, Dean, School of Social Work, TISS, spoke about how the legal structure of probation in India was developed at TISS in the early 1950s, and from then to now, TISS had been committed to pioneering the cause of strengthening probation in India. Prof. Sanjoy Roy, Head, Department of Social Work, DU, emphasised that the collaboration of TISS and the Department of Social Work, DU is also historic as it has been the first time that the two colleges of social work have come together and organised this national consultation on strengthening probation.
Deccan Herald
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Justice is not a privilege but a right for every child: Justice Savitri Ratho
Speaking at the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children that took place earlier this week in Madrid, Justice Ratho said, 'Justice is not a privilege to be earned; it is a promise to be kept for every child,' underscoring the need for trauma-informed processes and regular monitoring under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015.
New Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Justice is not a privilege but right of every child: Odisha HC judge
BHUBANESWAR: Justice is not a privilege but a right of every child, said Justice Savitri Ratho. Addressing a panel discussion on 'Advancing Child-Centred Justice' hosted by the National Law University Odisha (NLUO) and Child Rights and You (CRY) as part of the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children here recently, the Orissa High Court judge underscored the need for trauma-informed processes and regular monitoring under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, especially for marginalised children. 'Justice is not a privilege to be earned; it is a promise to be kept for every child,' she affirmed. Speaking on the occasion, chairperson of the United Nations' Internal Justice Council and former judge of the Supreme Court of India Justice Madan Lokur emphasised the need for meaningful access to justice for children - as victims, as accused, and as those in need of care and protection, in all their avatars. He highlighted the underreporting of violence against children, alarming backlog in inquiries, and revictimization faced by survivors during the trial due to systemic delays and inadequate support systems. While principal secretary of the Women and Child Development department Shubha Sarma shared the state's commitment through schemes like Subhadra and Ashirbaad, NLUO vice-chancellor Ved Kumari advocated for a broad, child-centred definition of justice. The World Congress on Justice with Children is a global platform that convenes every five years to further the policy, practice and discourse on child-centred justice.
