A DISTURBING trend has recently emerged on various social media plat-forms, with people posting videos and images of underage, handcuffed suspects in police custody. Most of these images are posted online by individuals belonging to the legal profession, seeking social media traction. This is not just ethically questionable; it is a clear violation of the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018, and a breach of both professional and constitutional responsibilities.

Under Section 13 of the Act, revealing the identity, image, or case details of any child under 18 is strictly prohibited. Section 16(2) further emphasises that juveniles must not be handcuffed, unless previously convicted of a heinous offence punishable by death or life imprisonment.

Worse still, juveniles are being detained in police stations or jails, sometimes for up to two weeks, in complete disregard of Section 6, which bars placing a juvenile in prison under any circumstances.

The law, instead, mandates the use of observation homes and juvenile reha- bilitation centres, neither of which appear to be functioning adequately in most districts.

One wonders if the juvenile justice committees that were legally required to be formed within three months of the Act’s implementation in 2018 have actually been established in every district.

In a recent case, I witnessed four boys — none over the age of 18 — arrested by local police on suspicion of ‘planning’ a crime. The Act clearly excludes the use of preventive detention of minors.

Moreover, the police failed to notify the probation officer or trace the guardians, as required under the law. Instead of being sent to observation homes, they were unlawfully kept in police custody and were later released allegedly in return of gratification.

The government has a constitutional duty to ensure the protection of children, but the onus does not fall on the state alone. Senior lawyers, as officers of the court, bear the professional responsibility to assist the courts in safeguarding legislative values. Judicial officers, too, must exercise vigilance against such widespread violations.

It is only through a reformative and child-centred approach, as envisioned in the preamble of the Juvenile Justice System Act, that we can protect the rights of our most vulnerable citizens.

Syed Rehman Hayder
Chiniot

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2025