Justice DH Waghela stresses need for meaningful implementation of Juvenile Justice Act

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 7, 2015:  The Juvenile Justice Act can be implemented more meaningfully when the legal fraternity understands the pain of a child and also does not treat any juvenile delinquent as a hardcore criminal, said Justice DH Waghela, Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court.

He was speaking after inaugurating a workshop on ‘Juvenile Justice Act’ and ‘Protection of Children’ at the Netravathi Auditorium of the DK Zilla Panchayat on February 7, Saturday. The workshop is jointly organised by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, District Legal Services Authority, District Administration, Juvenile Justice Board, Bar Association and Women and Child  Welfare Department.
Justice Waghela further said Juvenile Justice Act  is enacted to  protect the interests of the child and not to punish it.

Dakshina Kannada SP Dr Sharanappa who also spoke, while pointing out that there has been a rise in cases of crimes involving children, attributed this to the present nuclear families unlike the joint families of the past wherein grandparents were always at home to take care of the children. At a time when parents do not have enough time to give attention to their children, the latter are likely to go astray, he said.

Huluvadi G Ramesh, High Court Judge presided over the function. Uma MG, District Principal and Sessions Judge, A.B. Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner.  PP Hegde, President of Karnataka State Bar Council, Tulasi Maddineni, ZP CEP,  Abdul Nazeer, AN Venugopal Gowda, High Court judges and many others were present.