Dimapur, August 5 (MExN): Nagaland judicial officers attended the one-day 4th round regional consultation on North Eastern States and Sikkim on Effective Implementation of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 with focus on Status of Integrated Child Protection Services.
It was held at Assam Administrative College Guwahati on August 4.
The consultation was organized by Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee and Gauhati High Court Juvenile Justice Committee in collaboration with State Child Protection Society (SCPS) Assam, Social Welfare Department, Government of Assam and supported by UNICEF, a release here stated.
Delivering the inaugural address, Justice Deepak Gupta, Judge, Supreme Court of India pointed out that juvenile justice should focus not only on the juvenile in conflict with law but more focus should be on the social aspect for the benefit of the children.
“The system should be in place to provide what is due to the children and it is the duty of the stakeholders as duty holders to provide their due,” he stressed.
He further stated that institutionalization of children should be the last resort and first option has to be provided by the family or community.
Lamenting that trafficking of children in the Northeast is a concern, he advised that interaction with the children in child care centers as an important factor.
He further highlighted sensitization as an important aspect for successful implementation of child welfare programs and that in every welfare scheme for children of 0-6 yrs, the mother also has to be taken into account, the release also said.
Delivering the closing remarks, Justice Madan B Lokur, Judge Supreme Court of India stressed that there should be state action plan from 2019. He said that for prevention of crime against children there should be vulnerability mapping where crime can be prevented.
Lokur also stressed on conducting zonal level conference, police first responder, new idea or mediation in petty offence and social audit.
During a presentation of respective states, Manla Konyak, Program Officer SCPS, representing Nagaland State focused on key progress of last three years, ICPS review and action plan.
The officials of Labour Department, Social Welfare department, Chairperson, Nagaland Child Rights Commission, Registrar, Gauhati high court and Member Secretary NSLSA represented the state. Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Judges of Gauhati High Court, UNICEF, Department of Social Welfare, Assam, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights took part in the programme.
