REFORMING JUVENILE JUSTICE IN INDIA: A CRITICAL STUDY OF LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AND IMPLEMENTATION

The youth represent the future of our society, and it is imperative that we safeguard their rights and ensure they have access to opportunities for comprehensive growth. The objective of the juvenile justice system is grounded in the rights of the child. The juvenile justice system prioritizes prevention as a key goal and considers custody to be a measure of last resort. Nonetheless, the harrowing gang rape incident that occurred in Delhi on December 16, 2012, emerged as a pivotal case that transformed the current framework of the Juvenile Justice System. Upon the enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, significant criticism emerged from numerous social workers and NGOs advocating for children's rights. This backlash was largely a response to public outrage stemming from the release of the juvenile offender in the case of State v. Ram Singh & Ors., commonly known as the Nirbhaya case. The authors have examined in this article the different facets of the recently enacted Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, along with its shortcomings