Supreme Court of India will host a two-day national consultation on ten years of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, on October 10 and 11, 2026

The Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court of India, in association with UNICEF, is scheduled to hold a two-day National Annual Stakeholders Consultation on October 10 and 11, 2026, to take stock of a decade of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will inaugurate the consultation at the Supreme Court of India.

The consultation is themed “Ten Years of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Progress, Challenges and Priorities for the Next Decade”. Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, senior government officials, child protection experts and representatives of organisations working for the welfare and protection of children are expected to attend.

A Compendium of Supreme Court and High Court Judgments on the JJ Act (2015 to September 2026) to Be Released

According to the press release, “a major highlight of the inaugural session will be the release of a compendium of landmark judgments of the Supreme Court of India and High Courts relating to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, covering the period from 2015 to September 2026”. The compendium will be released by the Chief Justice of India.

The inaugural session will open with remarks by Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Chairperson, Juvenile Justice Committee, followed by introductory remarks by Cynthia McCaffrey, Country Representative, UNICEF India.

Preliminary Assessment in Heinous Offences, Adoption and Institutional Care on the Agenda

The consultation is intended to “review achievements, identify implementation challenges, exchange best practices and deliberate on priorities for strengthening the juvenile justice and child protection systems over the next decade”.

The deliberations will cover the rights of children in conflict with law, preliminary assessment in heinous offences by Juvenile Justice Boards, care and protection of vulnerable children, adoption procedures, institutional care and rehabilitation. Participants will also consider ways to strengthen institutional coordination, improve child-friendly justice mechanisms and promote the effective rehabilitation and reintegration of children.

States and Union Territories to Report on Ground-Level Implementation of the Act

Dedicated technical sessions will examine how the Act has been implemented across States and Union Territories, drawing on the experience of the judiciary and State Governments. Representatives from Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal are scheduled to present their perspectives.

Valedictory Session on October 11

The consultation will conclude on October 11, 2026, with a valedictory session. Ms. Milen Kidane, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF India, will deliver special remarks, and Mr. Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, will deliver a special address. Justice J.B. Pardiwala, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Member, Juvenile Justice Committee, will deliver the closing remarks.

"The consultation is expected to help shape the priorities for the next decade of juvenile justice in India, with a stated focus on “protecting children’s rights, strengthening institutional accountability and ensuring that every child receives care, protection, dignity and access to justice”," the press release reads.

Both sessions will be streamed live:
Inaugural Session: https://youtube.com/live/UKaGYpXWc_s?feature=share
Valedictory Session: https://youtube.com/live/cwBuc1nSLoA?feature=share

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