Minister of Justice and Law Reform Milinda Moragoda said that 27 percent of the cases filed in Court were related to children in conflict with the law.
The situation could be rectified with the new amendments to the children and young persons’ ordinance, No. 48 of 1939, he said.
Addressing the second day of a seminar aimed at creating awareness of the Act to Amend the Children and Young Persons’ Ordinance, he said yesterday (13) that the practical problems in implementing the newly amended Ordinance needed to be urgently addressed. The need for more probation and child care officers, the requirement for more vehicles to transport children and young persons in conflict with the law and those abused due to their lack of protection and the lack of funds for sustaining resources are practical problems that require attention.
Moragoda said that measures were to be taken to relocate the Bambalapitiya Juvenile Court to a building in Battaramulla. He said steps were underway to relocate the ‘Training School for Youthful Offenders,’ situated in Pallansena to the existing rehabilitation centre in Ambepussa, before the end of the year.
UNICEF country representative Phillippe Duamelle said that amending the law alone was inadequate. It should be implemented. There should not be delays in taking up cases related to children in conflict with the law, nor should there be delays in meting out justice, he said. However, he emphasised that juvenile justice should be meted only to severe offenders.
Child Development and Women’s Empowerment Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena said the Ministry’s Women and Children’s Bureau received large number complaints on child abuse. There are several calls to ‘1929,’ daily with complaints. "We refer the cases to the Women and Children’s Desk of the Police. She said that the existing laws in the country were fair, "but the question is they are good enough to protect children and young persons who are in conflict with the law or who need its protection?"
The laws are threatened by the problems which arise when implementing them, she said.
The UNICEF provided technical support for the legal reforms programme, and for a diploma course in Child Protection and Development. The reforms were carried out in collaboration with the Department of Probation and Child Care and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). |
