NEW DELHI: The new Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) comes into force today under which juveniles aged between 16 and 18 years who commit heinous crime will now be tried as adults. The Act becomes effective from following a Women and Child Development Ministry notification three days ago issued by the ministry’s Joint Secretary Rashmi Saxena Sahni.
The historic legislation was passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 22, 2015 after a thorough discussion prompted by a public outcry on the release of the minor involved in the gruesome December 16, 2012 gang-rape incident on completion of his three-year term in a juvenile home. Four of the five co-accused are facing death penalty.
Moving the legislation, Union Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi said the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2015 will help to arrest the rise in juvenile crime, which she claimed, was the fastest rising segment of crime. Now, cases of heinous sexual attacks by teenage criminals will be examined by Juvenile Justice Board after conducting a preliminary inquiry. (AGENCIES)
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