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Repealed or not in force

The Juvenile Justice Act 1986, 53 of 1986 (Rep., Act 56 of 2000)

63 sections · As amended up to 2026-08

Sections

  1. 0Section 0
  2. I — PRELIMINARY
  3. 1(1) This Act may be called the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986
  4. 2In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,
  5. 3Where an inquiry has been initiated against a juvenile and during the course of such inquiry the juv
  6. II — COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND INSTITUTIONS FOR JUVENILES
  7. 4(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute for any area speci
  8. 5(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the State Government
  9. 6(1) In the event of any difference of opinion among the members of a Board or among the Magistrates
  10. 7(1) Where a Board or a Juvenile Court has been constituted for any area, such Board or Court shall,
  11. 8(1) When any Magistrate not empowered to exercise the powers of a Board or a Juvenile Court under th
  12. 9(1) The State Government may establish and maintain as many juvenile homes as may be necessary for the reception of neglected juveniles under this Act
  13. 10(1) The State Government may establish and maintain as many special homes as may be necessary for the reception of delinquent juveniles under this Act
  14. 11(1) The State Government may establish and maintain as many observation homes as may be necessary fo
  15. 12The State Government may, by rules made under this Act, provide
  16. III — NEGLECTED JUVENILES
  17. 13(1) If any police officer or any other person or organisation authorised by the State Government in
  18. 14(1) If a person, who in the opinion of the police officer or the authorised person or organisation i
  19. 15(1) When a person alleged to be a neglected juvenile is produced before a Board, it shall examine th
  20. 16(1) If the Board so thinks fit, it may, instead of making an order under sub-section (2) of section
  21. 17Where a parent or guardian of a juvenile complains to the Board that he is not able to exercise prop
  22. IV — DELINQUENT JUVENILES
  23. 18(1) When any person accused of a bailable or non-bailable offence and apparently a juvenile is arres
  24. 19Section 19
  25. 20Where a juvenile having been charged with an offence appears or is produced before a Juvenile Court,
  26. 21(1) Where a Juvenile Court is satisfied on inquiry that a juvenile has committed an offence, then, n
  27. 22(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in force,
  28. 23Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, no proce
  29. 25Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, a juvenile who has committed an offence and has
  30. 26Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, all proceedings in respect of a juvenile pending in
  31. V — PROCEDURE OF COMPETENT AUTHORITIES GENERALLY AND APPEALS AND REVISION FROM ORDERS OF SUCH AUTHORITIES
  32. 27(1) A Board or a Juvenile Court shall hold its sittings at such place, on such day and in such manner, as may be prescribed
  33. 28(i) Save as provided in this Act, no person shall be present at any sitting of a competent authority, except
  34. 29Any competent authority before which a juvenile is brought under any of the provisions of this Act m
  35. 30If, at any stage during the course of an inquiry, a competent authority is satisfied that the attend
  36. 31(1) When a juvenile who has been brought before a competent authority under this Act is found to be
  37. 32(1) Where it appears to a competent authority that a person brought before it under any of the provi
  38. 33In making any order in respect of a juvenile under this Act, a competent authority shall take into consideration the following circumstances, namely:
  39. 34In the case of a neglected or delinquent juvenile whose ordinary place of residence lies outside the
  40. 35The report of the probation officer or any circumstance considered by the competent authority under section 33 shall be treated as confidential:
  41. 36(1) No report in any newspaper, magazine or news-sheet of any inquiry regarding a juvenile under thi
  42. 37(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, any person aggrieved by an order made by a competent
  43. 38The High Court may, at any time, either of its own motion or on an application received in this beha
  44. 39(1) Save as otherwise expressly provided by this Act, a competent authority while holding any inquir
  45. 40(1) Without prejudice to the provisions for appeal and revision under this Act, any competent author
  46. VI — SPECIAL OFFENCES IN RESPECT OF JUVENILES
  47. 41(1) Whoever, having the actual charge of, or control over, a juvenile, assaults, abandons, exposes o
  48. 42(1) Whoever employs or uses any juvenile for the purposes of begging or causes any juvenile to beg s
  49. 43Whoever gives, or causes to be given, to any juvenile any intoxicating liquor in a public place or a
  50. 44Whoever ostensibly procures a juvenile for the purpose of any employment and withholds the earnings
  51. 45Where an act or omission constitutes an offence punishable under this Act and also under any other C
  52. VII — MISCELLANEOUS
  53. 46(1) The State Government may, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, at any time, order a n
  54. 47(1) The Government of a State may direct any neglected juvenile or delinquent juvenile to be transfe
  55. 48(1) Where it appears to the State Government that any juvenile kept in a special home or juvenile ho
  56. 49(1) When a juvenile is kept in a juvenile home or special home, the State Government may, if it so t
  57. 50Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in force, any
  58. 51(1) The competent authority which makes an order for sending a neglected juvenile or a delinquent ju
  59. 52Section 52
  60. 53(1) The State Government may constitute an Advisory Board to advise it on matters relating to the es
  61. 54(1) The State Government may nominate not more than three non-officials to be Visitors for each of the homes established under this Act
  62. 55Any person in whose custody a juvenile is placed in pursuance of this Act shall, while the order is
  63. 56In any area in which this Act is brought into force, the State Government may direct that a delinque
  64. 57(1) The State Government may appoint as many probation officers, officers for the inspection of spec
  65. 58Section 58
  66. 59The provisions of Chapter XXXIII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, shall, as far as may be, apply to bonds taken under this Act
  67. 60The State Government may, by general or special order, direct that any power exercisable by it under
  68. 61No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against the State Government or any probation officer or
  69. 62(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act
  70. 63Section 63