Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Jammu & Kashmir Judicial Academy on Thursday organised a capacity-building programme on Juvenile Justice for Principal Magistrates of the Juvenile Justice Boards, conducted under the guidance of Justice Sindhu Sharma, Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Chairperson of the Committee under the Juvenile Justice Act. The programme reflects the judiciary’s continuing effort to strengthen the sensitivity and competence of officers handling cases involving children in conflict with the law.
The session was conducted in hybrid mode, with Principal Magistrates from the Kashmir Division attending physically at the Academy’s Mominabad Campus in Srinagar, while counterparts from the Jammu Division joined virtually. Newly selected Civil Judges of the Junior Division from Batch 2026, currently undergoing their Pre-Appointment Induction Training Programme, also participated, giving the newest entrants to the judicial service early exposure to the nuances of juvenile justice administration.
Organised pursuant to approval from the Juvenile Justice Committee of the High Court, the programme followed a comprehensive Training Needs Assessment conducted by the Office of the Member Secretary of the Committee. It was also designed to facilitate implementation of directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in a recent juvenile delinquency matter, along with the Standard Operating Procedure communicated by the Registrar General of the High Court.
Naseer Ahmad Dar, Director of the Jammu & Kashmir Judicial Academy, delivered the welcome address, highlighting the programme’s role in strengthening implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. He emphasised the need for a child-centric, reformative approach and underscored the importance of continuous judicial education in building the capacity of officers handling such sensitive matters.
Resource persons walked participants through key provisions of the 2015 Act, including the powers of Juvenile Justice Boards, child-friendly inquiry procedures, preliminary assessment under Section 15, and social investigation reports, supported by interactive case studies. Subsequent sessions focused on non-custodial measures, diversion, rehabilitation, bail provisions and restorative justice approaches, including victim-offender mediation and community-based reintegration strategies for children in conflict with law.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, reaffirming the High Court’s commitment, alongside the Juvenile Justice Committee and the Judicial Academy, to building a sensitive, rights-based and effective juvenile justice delivery system across the Union Territory. Officials noted that continuous training of this kind is essential to ensuring uniform, child-centric standards are applied consistently across both the Kashmir and Jammu divisions.
