(1) No report in any newspaper, magazine, news-sheet or visual media of any inquiry regarding a juvenile in conflict with law or a child in need of care and protection under this Act shall disclose the name, address or school or any other particulars calculated to lead to the identification of the juvenile or child nor shall any picture of any such juvenile or child be published:
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Provided that for reasons to be recorded in writing, the authority holding the inquiry may permit such disclosure, if in its opinion such disclosure is in the interest of the juvenile or the child.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1), shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees.
Comment:
The proceedings of the Juvenile Justice Board being of a confidential nature, this section prohibits publication of such proceedings in the interest of the juvenile. No newspaper or magazine etc. shall publish the details or particulars of the report of proceedings against the juvenile conducted by the Juvenile Justice Board.
Thus the publication of name, address, or details about the school etc. of the juvenile tried by the Juvenile Board is strictly prohibited by this section. Any contravention of this provision shall be punishable with fine which may extend to rupees twenty-five thousand. However, if such publication is in the opinion of the competent authority, in the interest of the juvenile, it may permit the publication about the details of proceedings.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
It may be noted that no other person then the members of the Board, parent or guardian of the juvenile and the police officials concerned with the case, are allowed to be present in the Board’s proceedings against the juvenile. As already stated publication of identity or photograph etc. of the juvenile is strictly prohibited unless written permission of the competent authority holding the inquiry against the juvenile has duly been obtained.