A SOCIO-LEGAL REVIEW OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN

HYDERABAD: PROJECT SUMMARY

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2001, drafted to review the Juvenile
Justice Act 1986, is considered one of the most progressive legislations in India when it comes to
the letter. It was designed to give a very child-friendly and positive reformation for children in
conflict with the law, and envisages rehabilitation in a very ambitious and sensitive manner.
However, as it is the case with good law in the hands of bad implementers; the Juvenile Justice
Act’s provisions are seldom used or duty-bound done by the authorities. What the researcher
wants to study is the difference between the letter of the law and its implementation, considering
the socio-economic conditions enmeshed in India. While the researcher would call the Juvenile
Justice Act almost Western-like in letter, but its implementation is dismal.

The United Nations, through the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Conference), has given the clarion call for all
member nations, India being among them, to deal humanely and with sensitivity juveniles in
conflict with the law.

The researcher has already begun with his research by reviewing literature, mostly from
Internet sources and journals of repute. He wishes to analyze the Act through a socio-legal lens,
hence field work becomes essential. Visits to the Juvenile Justice Board and the Child Care and
Protection Committee in Hyderabad shall be made. A holistic form of research shall be adopted,
that combines the commanding literature on Juvenile Justice and its laws in India by both
prominent sociologists and legal writers.

The main questions the researcher would like to answer through his project are –

 Whether the Juvenile Justice Act is followed as it should be in Hyderabad or not?

 Documenting the discrepancies in the implementation of the Act in Hyderabad
 Whether there should be any change in the Act to suit Indian conditions

The Chapterization of this project, tentatively, is as follows –

 Introduction
 Review of Literature
 Juvenile Justice Laws implementation as it should be according to the Act
 A sociological analysis of the Act
 Juvenile Justice Laws implementation as they are, (field work observations)
 Suggestions/ Changes which can improve the system

The researcher shall endeavor, to the best of his knowledge and efforts to this project.