Children’s Court Must Conduct Inquiry Even If Juvenile Justice Board Orders Trial as Adult
- Case Name: XX v. The State of Kerala and Another
- Judge(s): Justice Devan Ramachandran, Justice M. B. Snehalat
The Kerala High Court ruled that the Children's Court must conduct its own inquiry before deciding if a child should be tried as an adult, even if the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) has already ordered so.
The petitioner, accused of serious offenses under IPC and POCSO at age 16, challenged the JJB’s decision, arguing it was made without expert consultation.
The court dismissed his plea, stating that the JJB relied on social and counselling reports.
It clarified that appellate courts must ensure all legal requirements are met before confirming such decisions.
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