U'khand child rights commission asks govt to constitute children's courts

The Uttarakhand Commission for Protection of Child Rights (UCPCR) today asked the state government to constitute children's courts for quick disposal of cases related to offences against them, saying absence of such courts in the state is delaying justice.

In a letter to state chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, UCPCRchairman Yogendra Khanduri said section 25 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act - 2005 provides for constitution of children's courts to stop encroachment of their basic rights and quick disposal of cases related to offences against them.

"However, the commission has learnt that such courts have not been constituted in Uttarakhand yet which is coming in the way of quick delivery of justice to children," Khanduri said.

Quoting section 25 of the Act, the UCPCR chairman said, "for the purpose of providing speedy trial of offences against children or of violation of child rights, the state government may, with the concurrence of the chief justice of the high court, by notification, specify at least a court in the state or for each district, a court of session to be a children's court to try the said offences."