Archive · 11 Oct 2026
CJI Urges Privacy and Reintegration for Children in Conflict with Law
Chief Justice Surya Kant said that a child who breaks the law should not be labelled by that one event.
He said old records should be destroyed on time, and children’s names should not appear in news or online.
He believes children need help returning to their families, schools and communities.
He spoke at a meeting about ten years of India’s Juvenile Justice Act.
He also said children need lawyers and adults who understand their needs.
The meeting heard that many Juvenile Justice Board cases were still pending in 2023.
Separately, Gujarat introduced a policy to make places where children learn, get care or spend time safer.
The policy requires staff training and allows action when its rules are broken.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said “child in conflict with the law” describes a circumstance, not a child’s identity.
He called for timely destruction of old records and keeping children’s names out of news coverage and off the internet.
Kant said rehabilitation must include restoring children’s place in family, school and community without stigma.
At a two-day national consultation on the Juvenile Justice Act, he urged stronger child-friendly legal support, coordinated training and evaluation.
Separately, Gujarat’s Child Protection Policy 2026 requires child-facing institutions to train staff, follow conduct standards and protect children from abuse and discrimination.
- Who
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Supreme Court judge B. V. Nagarathna and participants in the national consultation.
- What
- Kant called for protecting children’s privacy, destroying old records on time and supporting rehabilitation; the article also reports Gujarat’s Child Protection Policy 2026.
- When
- The consultation was reported on October 10; the Juvenile Justice Act came into force in 2016, and Gujarat unveiled its 2026 policy last month, according to the articles.
- Where
- The consultation was held in New Delhi; the policy applies in Gujarat.
- Why
- To prevent lasting stigma and support children’s rehabilitation and reintegration, while creating safer, rights-based environments for children.
Rehabilitation and child-sensitive justice
System capacity concerns
Purpose of the juvenile justice system
Rehabilitation and child-sensitive justice
Surya Kant and B. V. Nagarathna argued that children should be treated as capable of change and supported through restoration and reintegration, rather than defined by an offence.
System capacity concerns
The articles do not present an opposing policy position; they report concerns that delayed decisions and incomplete Juvenile Justice Board benches may hinder the system’s intended support.
Access to representation and timely decisions
Rehabilitation and child-sensitive justice
Kant urged child-friendly legal services, dedicated lawyers and coordinated training for people who interact with children.
System capacity concerns
Kant said many Boards still lacked legal services clinics; figures cited by Nagarathna showed 55% of cases were pending and 24% of responding Boards lacked the full bench in data relating to 2023.
- Speaker
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
- Consultation
- National Annual Stakeholders’ Consultation on ten years of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
- Organisers
- The Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee and UNICEF
- Consultation length
- Two days
- Board case backlog
- An India Justice Report study cited by Justice B. V. Nagarathna found 55% of cases before Juvenile Justice Boards across 18 states and two Union Territories were pending in the year ending October 2023.
- Children awaiting decisions
- More than 55,000, according to the study cited by Nagarathna.
- Gujarat policy
- The Gujarat State Child Protection Policy 2026 requires child-facing institutions to train employees and follow a code of conduct; violators could face action.
