First childfriendly court to work from Thursday

  • | Wednesday | 12th December, 2018

PATNA: Almost after ten months of the Supreme Court directive, the first child-friendly court would start functioning in the state on Thursday.Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi of the Patna high court inaugurated the courtroom on Patna civil court premises on Monday. The directive was given on a PIL and all the high courts were asked to establish child-friendly courts.Special public prosecutor (Pocso Act) Suresh Chandra Prasad told TOI there would be separate areas in the child-friendly court for victims with various kinds of toys and other items for them. The victims will also depose in-camera and they will be given short breaks,” Prasad said.He said all the directives were present in the JJ Act and Pocso Act earlier, but never got implemented properly.In reply to a query, Prasad said there were around 700 cases for trial before the special Pocso court in Patna alone. “These facilities were not present earlier in the juvenile and Pocso courts,” he said.He also said public prosecutors and defence counsels, in any case related to a child, would have to submit their written questionnaire to the judge of a child-friendly court, which would later put them before the victim.“Unlike earlier, we will not be able to directly interact with the victim during questioning. Law secretary Akhilesh Kumar Jain said such child-friendly courts would be opened in all the districts.“The child-friendly court will function as per the rules and regulations of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act, 2015 so that the juvenile victims as well as offenders don’t have to undergo harsh procedures,” he said.He said the cases of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012 would be handled by the child-friendly court.The Supreme Court in February this year had directed the central and state governments to ensure proper implementation of all the Acts related to child rights and their welfare.

PATNA: Almost after ten months of the Supreme Court directive, the first child-friendly court would start functioning in the state on Thursday.Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi of the Patna high court inaugurated the courtroom on Patna civil court premises on Monday. Law secretary Akhilesh Kumar Jain said such child-friendly courts would be opened in all the districts.“The child-friendly court will function as per the rules and regulations of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act, 2015 so that the juvenile victims as well as offenders don’t have to undergo harsh procedures,” he said.He said the cases of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012 would be handled by the child-friendly court.The Supreme Court in February this year had directed the central and state governments to ensure proper implementation of all the Acts related to child rights and their welfare. The directive was given on a PIL and all the high courts were asked to establish child-friendly courts.Special public prosecutor (Pocso Act) Suresh Chandra Prasad told TOI there would be separate areas in the child-friendly court for victims with various kinds of toys and other items for them. “These facilities were not present earlier in the juvenile and Pocso courts,” he said.He also said public prosecutors and defence counsels, in any case related to a child, would have to submit their written questionnaire to the judge of a child-friendly court, which would later put them before the victim.“Unlike earlier, we will not be able to directly interact with the victim during questioning. The victims will also depose in-camera and they will be given short breaks,” Prasad said.He said all the directives were present in the JJ Act and Pocso Act earlier, but never got implemented properly.In reply to a query, Prasad said there were around 700 cases for trial before the special Pocso court in Patna alone.

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