MP seeks to cut age of juvenility to 14 in cases of heinous crimes

New Delhi: Citing rise in cases of involvement of younger juveniles in heinous crimes, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari introduced a private member’s bill in LS seeking amendments to Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 to bring down the age for juveniles who have committed heinous crimes from 16 years to 14. This will allow such cases to be open for assessment by Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) for transfer to children’s court for trial as an adult under the criminal justice system.

The statement of objects of Tiwari’s bill introduced in LS on Dec 5 states Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, was enacted to provide a child-friendly approach to the adjudication and disposition of matters involving children in conflict with the law. “However, in recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in involvement of juveniles aged 14-16 years in serious and heinous crimes, including rape, murder, and other violent offences,” it said.

“The existing provision of treating all children below the age of 18 years as juveniles, regardless of the gravity of the offence, has led to concerns about adequacy of the justice system in addressing such crimes. This amendment seeks to strike a balance between the principles of rehabilitation and accountability, while ensuring that the rights and welfare of children are protected,” it said.


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