Bombay HC to govt: Fill up vacant posts on Juvenile Justice Board

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to fill up the posts in the Juvenile Justice Board that are vacant for some few years.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Bhushan P Dharmadhikari and Justice Nitin R Borkar passed the direction on PIL filed by advocate Dipak Kumar Chattopadhyay, which claimed as posts were vacant, hearings of juveniles in conflict with law were getting delayed.

The state government constitutes JJBs in the districts time to time, for exercising powers under the law and disposal of cases in relation to children in conflict with the law.

The board consists of a magistrate and two social workers as members. The social workers should be persons who have been actively involved in health, education, or welfare activities pertaining to children for at least seven years or a practicing professional with a degree in child psychology, psychiatry, sociology or law.