Justice Mir (Retd) takes over as chairperson Selection Committee under Juvenile Justice

 

JAMMU : Former Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, Justice (Retd) Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, today assumed the charge of the Chairperson Selection Committee Under Juvenile Justice Rules J&K here.

Ms Harvinder Kour, Mission Director Vatsalaya; Rajiv Kumar Khajuria, renowned child protection expert and president National Development Foundation J&K Jammu; Dr Sindhu Kapoor, Dean School of Social Sciences, Cluster University of Jammu and Dr Nancy Mengi, Head Social Work department, Central University of Jammu also assumed office as member secretary and members of the committee respectively.

Selection Committee is an apex committee under Juvenile Justice system to recruit the Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards which have replaced the courts with regard to the cases pertaining to children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law.

Harvinder Kour, Member Secretary and Mission Director Vatsalaya welcomed the Chairperson and Members to the Juvenile Justice family.

After assuming office, Justice (Retd) Mir termed juvenile justice as a noble cause close to his heart and pledged to work dedicatedly for the best interest of the children. Chairperson and members unanimously resolved to support mission Vatsalaya by helping the department in capacity building of stakeholders and providing handholding support to various structures working under juvenile justice system.

Justice (Retd) Mir termed CWCs and JJBs as the backbone of juvenile justice system and ensuring access to justice to children in Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized that Juvenile Justice System refers to the reformatory theory of Jurisprudence and is a welfare legislation, it supports children in need of care and protection and also facilitates procedural support and special treatment to children in conflict with law.

He assured that selection committee will not only make recruitments but also will voluntary raise awareness on Child rights particularly Child protection to fulfil the Governments vision of leaving no child behind and supporting children in difficult circumstances by strengthening the processes and structures under Juvenile Justice System. He also sought the support of State Legal Services authority and Juvenile Justice Committee of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir to achieve the same.

On the occasion, Member Secretary apprised the Chairperson and members that the original tenure of the CWCs and the members of JJBs is over.

Therefore, for recruitment of CWCs and members of JJBs be initiated. The detailed proposal in this regard along with vacancy position district wise shall be prepared and process shall be expedited.