Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal on Wednesday said she firmly believes that children need care and protection.
She was speaking at one-day orientation programme on the Implementation of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 (Opportunities and challenges for children in J&K) here.
"There are some challenges in dealing with children in tough situations, for which officials need to be sensitised about. Age determination test is extremely important. We have to be very conscious when children in conflict with the law are produced before authorities," said Justice Mittal.
She added that children in conflict with the law are invariably in need of care and protection.
The Chief Justice further said that a process has been started in Jammu schools in association with the J&K Legal Services Authority to sensitise children that they can be held culpable for major offences and would face drastic consequences under the law.
"This is one of the exercises to empower them. This Act brings in adoption and foster care," she said.
Complimenting the Juvenile Justice Committee and other stakeholders for conceptualising workshop, Justice Mittal said: "You have done a great job under the active leadership of the Juvenile Justice Committee in the last one and a half years."
The programme was attended by several dignitaries including Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, Justice Sindhu Sharma, Principal District and Sessions Judge Srinagar Abdul Rashid Malik, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and other officials.
( With inputs from ANI )