NCJ Number
113828
Journal
Social Defence Volume: 22 Issue: 86 Dated: (October 1988) Pages: 31-51
Date Published
1986
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article examines the genesis of the juvenile court system in India, the actual workings of a juvenile court in Calcutta, the government's attitude toward juvenile justice, and regulations governing juvenile judges.
Abstract
Statistics on the current system show that 8 out of 22 Indian states do not have juvenile courts or protective laws and that existing laws lack uniformity. An outline of India's different juvenile court systems is followed by a comparison of the juvenile court in England and the United States. The Salt Lake City Court in Calcutta is described in detail, from the physical setting through juvenile detention procedures and court proceedings. The paper illustrates the government's negative attitude toward juvenile justice with specific cases instances where it failed to provide promised facilities. Areas neglected by Indian statutes governing juvenile court judges are identified, such as no provisions for training and no standardized selection procedure. A workflow analyses shows that the present court system cannot handle the present registered number of juvenile cases. Recommendations for upgrading the juvenile court are presented. Tables and 17 references.