The Gujarat High Court issued notice on Tuesday on a writ petition filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a non-governmental organisation founded by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi that focuses on children’s rights and child labour prevention, seeking proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The organisation is deeply concerned about the consistent failure to implement Sampurna Behura vs Union of India, in which the Supreme Court issued a slew of directives for the proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Similarly, the Supreme Court had directed all of the country’s High Courts to initiate suo moto proceedings to ensure the effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act within their respective jurisdictions.
The current petition emphasises that child abuse in child care institutions is on the rise, and that the authorities in charge are frequently indifferent to these developments. To support this claim, the petition cites the case of 34 minor girls who were allegedly sexually assaulted on the premises of the Muzzafarpur Shelter Home.
As a result, the petitioner seeks the Court’s intervention to ensure that the provisions of the JJ Act are followed in letter and spirit, as well as to improve the conditions of Remand/Observation Homes and Shelter Homes as envisioned in the JJ Act and Rules.
