Supreme Court of India to host national consultation on Juvenile Justice Act

The Supreme Court of India will host a two-day national consultation in New Delhi on October 10–11, 2026, to review the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Organized by the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee in association with UNICEF India, the event aims to assess progress made over the last decade and identify priorities for strengthening child protection and juvenile justice mechanisms.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will inaugurate the consultation. The event will feature remarks from Justice B. V. Nagarathna, Chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Committee, and Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF India Country Representative. During the session, the Chief Justice will release a compendium of landmark Supreme Court and High Court judgments related to the Act spanning from 2015 to September 2026.

Technical deliberations will focus on several key areas, including the rights of children in conflict with the law, preliminary assessments in cases of heinous offences, adoption, institutional care, and rehabilitation. The consultation will also examine implementation challenges across various States and Union Territories.