How does the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015 balance punishment and reform in cases of serious crimes by children?

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 seeks to strike a balance between punitive justice and reformative justice while dealing with serious offences committed by children. It does so in the following ways:

Classification of Offences:
The Act categorises offences into petty, serious, and heinous, ensuring that the response is proportionate to the gravity of the crime.

Role of Juvenile Justice Board (JJB):
The JJB conducts a preliminary assessment for children aged 16–18 years accused of heinous offences to evaluate their mental capacity, understanding of consequences, and circumstances of the offence.

Reform as the General Rule:
For most cases, the focus is on rehabilitation, including counselling, education, skill training, and placement in observation or special homes rather than imprisonment.

Punishment as an Exception:
Only in rare cases, where the JJB finds sufficient maturity in a 16–18-year-old accused of a heinous crime, can the child be tried as an adult, making punishment a carefully regulated exception.

Protection of Child Rights:
The Act aligns with UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring dignity, fair procedure, and the child’s best interests.