The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, officially known as Republic Act 9344, was passed in 2006,

marking a significant advancement toward a juvenile justice system that is more rehabilitative and
focused on children. When encouraging the child's reintegration and positive role in society, it is in
accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC).In compliance with
international regulations and recommendations, the outdated and stigmatizing term "youthful offender"
was changed to "child in conflict with law" (CICL) in order to avoid labeling, which only serves to
encourage the emergence of persistent patterns of undesired behavior.

Since the majority of the CICL lack any documentation proving their age, RA 9344 assumes they
are minors until proven otherwise.Children under the age of 15 are exempt from criminal culpability,
and those under the age of 18 are exempt unless they act with discernment, which is defined as having
the mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong and their repercussions. As with youngsters
under 15 and under 18 who acted recklessly, a CICL under 15 may be held civilly accountable and
required to participate in an intervention program.

The punishment will be suspended, but there will be some restrictions if the offender was a kid
who was under the age of 18 at the time of the offense and was found guilty.The local government
entities are crucial to the law's execution in numerous ways. Additionally, they must develop a
Comprehensive Juvenile Intervention Program.The Committee on the Rights of the Child advocates for
making 12 the absolute minimum age and pushing it up to a higher age bracket rather than lowering it.
The Committee contends that social rights like marital status and civil majority should be closely related
to the responsibility for criminal action. It also suggests against lowering the standard for major crimes
compared to smaller offenses If properly implemented, RA 9344 leads to the conclusion that it is
significantly CRC compliant.