Summary Despite the passage of almost two decades, law protecting the rights of juveniles is yet to be implemented. Photo: File
(Dunya News) – A law aiming to protect the rights of offenders below the age of 18 aiming to ensure they are integrated as productive citizens of the society called for the establishment of juvenile courts for judicial proceedings of cases pertaining to juveniles.
However, despite the passage of almost two decades, those clauses of the law are yet to be implemented.
According to the law, magistrates would also be appointed for granting physical and judicial remands of juveniles.
In Gujranwala, separate juvenile courts to deal with such cases have not been set up. Similarly, appointment of magistrates for granting remands of juveniles is still pending. Instead, juvenile offenders are brought to courts and handcuffed alongside dangerous criminals for court proceedings.
According to deputy district public prosecutor, Irfan Tarar, juvenile courts must be set up in every district across Pakistan and they should exclusively hear cases of juveniles. “This is not something that is happening,” he added.
Police officials, too, believe that the situation needs to be addressed. But besides legal provisions, they believe the society at large also needs to play its role and not shy away from its responsibility.
The law that was enacted to protect the rights of juveniles still fails to be implemented – a situation that makes it even more difficult to ensure that young offenders are not only granted their rights as young citizens but are also allowed the opportunity to become better citizens.
For more on this, watch a report by Dunya News below.
