Online legal awareness prog organised
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 22 2021: District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Tamenglong organised an online legal awareness programme on 'Age Determination: Its Importance in Juvenile Justice System' on Wednesday.

The programme was attended by JJB members of Tamenglong, Noney and Imphal West; chairpersons of CWC Tamenglong and Noney; APP to JJB Tamenglong and Noney; IO/CWPO Tamenglong and Noney; and police officers of Moirang, Singjamei, Lilong, Sugnu, Nambol, Noney and Tamenglong police stations.

The main agendas of the programme consisted of fair, speedy inquiry and disposal of cases; determining of the age of the accused produced before the authority concerned for speedy justice and helping the stakeholders understand the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.District and Sessions Judge Imphal East cum DLSA chairman Aribam Guneshwar, while delivering the keynote address, stated that speedy determination of the age of the accused produced before the JJB/CWC/ Magistrate will help in delivery of justice.

Advocate Thiyam Rajkishore explained as resource person that JJ Act, 2015 is used for two categories of children - children in conflict with law and care and protection of children.

Failing to determine the age of children in the initial stage of the case will be of grave injustice to the children.

As per the JJ Act, CWC/JJB can determine the age physically.

If this is not possible, the determination could be done through documents allowed by the Act.

The last option would be to conduct ossification test, he added.

Rajkishore continued that after the determination of age, all further legal procedures could be taken up after assessing what category the child falls under.

Thus, many adult criminals tried to tamper with their age proofs to take advantage of the Act.

As such, the IOs/CWPOs should seize the documents at the earliest to help in the age determination.

He then appealed to the stakeholders to take their responsibility in the rehabilitation and reformation of the children.

Comment