Juvenile Justice Bill brings 'new regime of safety': Maneka Gandhi

Hailing the passage of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said the law comes as a "new regime of safety for potential victims".

"I am happy that the Bill was passed by Lok Sabha because it means a new regime of safety for potential victims, better amenities for children in conflict with law, easier laws for adoption, better facilities for children's home and foster care for older children," Gandhi, the Women and Child Development Minister, told PTI.

The Bill was introduced in the Lower House in August last year by Gandhi. It was referred to a standing committee which had recommended keeping the juvenile threshold at 18 years. The new law will allow Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) to take a call on whether to treat persons between 16 and 18 years as 'adults' or 'children' if they are involved in heinous crimes. Such juveniles may face a jail term, if convicted, but will not be awarded life terms or the death penalty.

Currently, if an accused is determined to be a juvenile (under 18 years), he is tried by the JJB and, if convicted, is sent to a juvenile home for a period of three years. The Bill was proposed in the wake of the brutal Delhi gangrape of December, 2012, and the public outcry after a juvenile convict in the case received lighter punishment in keeping with his age.