This refers to the editorial, “Better late than never” (December 24). The juvenile justice Bill is a fall-out of the Nirbhaya case and a quick-fix solution for sexual crimes against women. The grief of Jyoti Singh Pandey's parents was blatantly exploited to push through this regressive piece of legislation. At one go, the passage of this Bill has thrown the cherished notions of beneficial legislation and social integration of child offenders to the wind. Had the MPs studied the Justice JS Verma panel report, the Constitution and the United Nations Conventions on Rights of the Child with perspicacity, they would not have rushed into amending the law in this manner.
It’s dissappointing that the Treasury Benches and the Opposition cooperated with each other to pass this Bill. This new law will not help improve women’s safert or prevent sexual crimes against women. It needs to be challenged in a court of law.