Advocacy and Implementation

Juvenile Justice

Involvement in bringing reforms in Juvenile Justice System

For the past two and a half decades, Sakthi – Vidiyal has been involved in strengthening the Juvenile Justice system in Tamil Nadu. We actively participated in the campaigns and consultations organized to bring reforms in the Juvenile Justice system and shared the success when the government enacted the new legislature “The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000”. This brought a big shift in the approach towards the children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection. Principles like ‘principle of dignity and worth’ ‘best interest of the child’ and ‘institutionalization as the last resort’ have brought systemic change in ensuring justice for children coming under the purview of this law.

We continued our journey advocating for progressive changes in the Act and took part in the consultations that resulted in revamping the JJ Act 2000 with Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. We collaborated with other stakeholders in the drafting the bill on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act which was enacted in the parliament in November 2012.

Involvement in Training the persons working in the Juvenile Justice System

We got actively involved in training the police personnel, members of Child Welfare Committees, members of Juvenile Justice Boards, personnel of various homes run by the Government and voluntary organizations, block level officers, staff of various allied departments of the district administration, teachers and Block Resource Teacher Educators about juvenile justice and child protection. In 2009 Mr.C.Jim Jesudoss, our Executive Director served in the evaluation team constituted by the Department of Social Defence and evaluated the Reception Units in four districts in Tamil Nadu including Salem, Erode, Dharmapuri and Coimbatore.

Served in the Judicial Capacity in the Juvenile Justice System

We take pride that our Executive Director Dr.C.Jim Jesudoss served as the Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Madurai District, for two terms from June 2012 to November 2018. The Child Welfare Committee functions as a Bench of Magistrates and have the powers conferred by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) on a Metropolitan Magistrate or, as the case may be, a Judicial Magistrate of the first class.

Know Your Rights!

Know Your Rights!A child means every human being below the age of eighteen years

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to clean drinking water, nutritious food, and protection from environmental pollution.

Know Your Rights!If children have been neglected or abused, children should receive special help to restore their self-respect.

Know Your Rights!The education of the child should promote the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.

Know Your Rights!If a child who has come into a country as a refugee, he/she should have the same rights as children born in that country.

Know Your Rights!States Parties that recognize and/or permit the system of adoption shall ensure that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

Know Your Rights!All children have the right to be protected, regardless of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.

Know Your Rights!States shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad.

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to be taught understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups.

Know Your Rights!Children have a right to learn and use the language and customs of their family

Know Your Rights!States shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad.

Know Your Rights!The child has the right to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis who is separated from one or both parents, except if it is contrary to the child's best interests.

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to rest and leisure, to play, to engage in recreational activities, and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to protection against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.

Know Your Rights!If the children are accused of breaking the law, they should receive legal help. Prison sentences for children should only be used for the most serious offences.

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to protection from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse.

Know Your Rights!Children have the right to privacy.