After Setting Up New CWCs Across TN, State To Now Reconstitute All The 32 Juvenile Justice Boards

After establishing new child welfare committees (CWC) across Tamil Nadu, the state will now reconstitute each of the 32 juvenile justice boards. Members of the board have been working on extended terms beyond the mandated period, which ended three years ago, reports TOI.

Appointment of new members was started after the Madras High Court vacated a stay a couple of months ago restraining the government from appointing new members to the CWC and the Juvenile Justice Boards without constituting a proper selection committee. Like the arrangement of CWC members, those shortlisted before the stay was imposed will want a slice of the new pie.

Official sources from the division said the procedures for reconstitution were under way as a couple of members from the boards were delaying the process because of “vested interests”. “They do not want to vacate their positions, but the appointments will be done in time,” said a senior official from the department.

As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the state government can constitute at least one board in each area to speed up the process of identifying children in conflict with the law. The board will comprise a metropolitan or a judicial magistrate and two social workers.

“We are waiting for the government to issue new orders on appointment,” said Girija Kumar Babu, a member of the Juvenile Justice Board, Chennai.

A Narayanan, executive, CHANGEIndia, raised worries over reconstitution of the boards. “There is a clear conflict of interest there, but it was overlooked. Many members have not even joined their duties at the committees. We do not know how deserving and committed the Juvenile Justice Board members will be,” he said.