Juvenile Conviction Not Ground for Job Disqualification: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court held that a conviction under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, cannot disqualify a person from government service. The Bench cited Section 19(1) of the Act, which expressly excludes any disqualification arising from a juvenile conviction.

The ruling came in a plea by a teacher of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Gauriganj, whose service was terminated for concealing his juvenile record.

The Court noted that the proviso under Section 24 of the 2015 Act did not apply since the offence predated it and ordered the teacher’s reinstatement with full benefits.

[Pundarikaksh Dev Pathak v Union of India & Ors.]