National Legal Services Authority issues Guidelines for Legal Aid in Juvenile Justice Boards and for Training of Police on Juvenile Justice

In compliance with the orders of Supreme Court in Sampurna Behrua Versus Union of India, National Legal Services Authority has issued detailed guidelines for running Legal Aid Centers in Juvenile Justice Boards and for conducting training programmes for Special Juvenile Police across the country. Sampura Behrua Case was filed in year 2005 by SLIC in Supreme Court seeking implementation of Juvenile Justice Act and since then it is going on and has resulted into tremendous progress in implementation of JJ Act nationwide. Guidelines for Legal Aid in Juvenile Justice Boards have been issued on 12.09.2011, in compliance of Supreme court Order dated 19.08.2011 whereby all the State Legal services Authorities have been directed to create Legal Aid Centers attached to Juvenile Justice Boards in all capital cities. These guidelines further go into the details as to how these centers will be created and run, detailing role and responsibilities of Juvenile Justice Board and Lawyers in order to ensure that legal aid is accessible, effective, accountable and is of good quality. Second set of guidelines pertains to the training of Special Juvenile Police Units. These guidelines have been issued on 09.12.2011 in compliance of Supreme Court order dated 12.10.2011 by which Supreme Court had directed National and State Legal services Authorities to train Police about their role and responsibilities under Juvenile Justice Act. These guidelines have clearly specified the roles which have to be played by State and District Level Authorities for conducting such trainings and have suggested a curriculum for such training, specifically mentioning the crucial aspects on which Police officers need to be trained and sensitized.