Madras HC directs TN, Puducherry govts to submit status report on implementation of child rights legislation

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Union Territory to submit the status reports regarding the effective implementation of protection of child rights legislation in compliance with the Supreme Court order.

A division bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice M Jothiraman heard a suo motu proceeding initiated to ensure the state governments implement legislation to protect child rights.

On behalf of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a charitable society for child rights, senior counsel Pragyan Sharma submitted that the State filed the last status report in January 2021, complying with the apex court's orders. Hence, a fresh report should be filed.

He also sought the dissolution and re-constitution of the Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TNCPCR), claiming the commission is not functioning properly and that there is no member on the panel now.

Additional public prosecutor (APP) R Muniyapparaj sought time to get instructions from the Director General of Police, Home and Social Welfare department as they are all included as respondents in the suo motu.

After the submission, the bench directed both the state governments to file individual status reports from respective respondents regarding the implementation of the protection of child rights and posted the matter to January 31 for further proceedings.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan programme director Sampurna Behura moved a petition in the Supreme Court seeking proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and on February 9, 2018, a division bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta heard the plea and passed several orders to the state governments. It also directed all the high courts to initiate suo motu proceedings to ensure the effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 by the State.