• Dr. Souvik Chatterji
• MAHEWASH RASOOL
• Samrat Samaddar

The increasing trend in the occurrence of Juvenile Crimes under penal laws is a critical issue that demands an urgent attention . It is a significant issue for the nation and solutions to end the problem need to be sought very carefully. Indian legal system and judiciary has responded to these trends and has brought some amendments in the laws of juvenile justice in India. A new law named as The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 came into force on 15th January 2016 which defines new boundaries with regard to penalizing juveniles and providing children from impoverished backgrounds with the basic needs and facilities that they require to live. The Act has introduced a new era of juvenile justice in India by introducing the provision of transfer of 16-18 years delinquent to an adult criminal court. The juvenile justice boards have been given the responsibilities of age determination, to determine whether the offence is heinous, to conduct a preliminary assessment, and then to decide whether to transfer or not to transfer the child to the children’s court. The children’s court then must reassess if the child so transferred, should be tried as a child or as an adult. The primary objective of this paper is to analyze the concept of ‘Age of Criminal Responsibility’ in light of the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The paper also seeks to understand the requirements of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, Causes of delinquent trajectories and International Jurisprudence on the issue of age. This paper will also focus on the juvenile delinquency, evolution of Juvenile Justice System in India, need for the JJ Act, 2015 and the role of judiciary. Further, an attempt would also be made to produce solutions to improve their situation in society.

"Juvenile Offenders Above 16 years: A Comprehensive Analysis of Rape and Murder Cases within the Indian Legal Framework", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no.c741-c750, June-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406290.pdf

"Juvenile Offenders Above 16 years: A Comprehensive Analysis of Rape and Murder Cases within the Indian Legal Framework", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no. ppc741-c750, June-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406290.pdf