Delhi becomes first state to have children's courts

NEW DELHI: Around 450 cases have been registered in the 11 childrens's courts in the national capital since July when they became functional in Delhi, the first state to open such facilities for the speedy trial of crime against children.

The initiative to open children's courts was taken by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), which approached the Delhi High Court citing law that guarantees the setting up of children courts.

"The main objective of having such courts is to provide speedy justice, relief and care to the children who are victims of criminal offence and expeditious disposal of such cases," DCPCR secretary X K Mehto told PTI.

"So far 450 cases where minors are victims have landed in children's courts which have started hearing them so that a child does not suffer due to delay in judicial process," he said.

With this, he said, Delhi has become the first state in the country to have functional children's courts.

The high court had in 2010 designated 11 children's courts in all the 11 districts of the national capital, he said, adding that children's court and juvenile courts were not the same.

While juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgements for crimes committed by children or adolescents, children's court deals with cases where a child has suffered due to any form of violence or crime, he said.