CHIEF Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain on Saturday expressed annoyance over 75 judges of 69 juvenile courts across the country for keeping 21,503 cases pending for a long time. Significantly, the observation comes at a time when the country’s juvenile first time in the history revolted against the government mismanagement in the transport sector that put off 25,000 lives in three and a half years.
Nowadays the juvenile delinquencies have been rising due to the inappropriate curriculum, lack of moral and family teachings, rise of broken family, cultural aggression and inadequate attention to youth generation. The number of the juvenile court, judicial magistrate, juvenile correction centre, and experts to deal the crime are too inappropriate while law enforcers’ training to deal with them is also improper.
The CJ asked the judges of juvenile courts to remember that delays in disposing of children’s cases citing procedural factors are harmful as they are socially, emotionally and cognitively different from the adults. The judges should treat children’s cases in a very informal way and consider the social and psychological developments of a child who comes in conflict with the law. The parents of the arrested must be informed without delay.
The causes of and conditions for juvenile crime are usually found at each level of the social structure. Juvenile delinquency is driven by the negative consequences of social and economic development, in particular, economic crises, political instability, and the weakening of major institutions like poor parenting skills, home discord, child maltreatment and antisocial parents. It is the duty of Court as well as the other state departments, functionaries and agencies dealing with children, to keep in mind that the best interests of the child must be considered first and foremost in dealing with all aspects concerning that child.
We agree that delay in trial means more suffering for the justice-seekers. But in our view in treating these young juveniles by the police and judicial process there is a want of human sensitivity. To deal with young ones for their alleged offences special training is necessary. Our justice system needs overhauling and too much reliance on police is wrongly placed. The Chief Justice is right about the need of speedy trial but he must also know how often judgments are given carelessly by the lower courts.
Speedy justice needs well-trained judges but that aspect is not getting due importance.
