Child offenders need protection, not identity labels: CJI

Chief Justice Surya Kant on Saturday urged the complete anonymity of minors involved in legal disputes, asserting that their names must remain out of public discourse and digital platforms. The CJI made the remarks while inaugurating the National Annual Stakeholders' Consultation on the decade-long implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, organized by the Supreme Court's Juvenile Justice Committee in partnership with UNICEF.

Highlighting the semantic distinction inherent in the law, Justice Kant stressed that 'children in conflict with the law' is a descriptor of circumstance rather than identity. He noted that while ten years is a relatively short timeframe for any statute, it represents more than half of a child's formative years, underscoring the critical importance of legislative protections during this period.

The Chief Justice emphasized that the 2015 Act operates on a fundamental principle: children afforded a second chance demonstrate significantly higher prospects of becoming constructive members of society compared to those stigmatized with criminal labels. He contended that meaningful rehabilitation requires severing the link between a child's past actions and their future prospects.

"The journey truly ends only when the past no longer casts a shadow over the future," Justice Kant stated, advocating for timely destruction of juvenile records and comprehensive media anonymity to facilitate this transition. The remarks underscore the judiciary's commitment to balancing accountability with rehabilitation in the juvenile justice system.