HYDERABAD: A division bench of Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit has directed the additional advocate general to submit a report regarding implementation of the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018 in Hyderabad district in the light of the court’s Dec 2, 2020 order.

The AAG undertook to submit such report, after consulting a district judge, within seven days.

The bench comprising Justice Mohammad Hasan Akbar and Justice Osman Ali Hadi fixed the matter for July 21.

The order was passed on June 29 and released on Monday (July 6) on a joint petition filed by Syeda Faryal Fatima, Ms Rachna and Ms Hina Memon advocates, drawing attention of court to the Dec 2, 2020 order passed by the court’s principal seat.

Court seeks comprehensive report on govt’s failure to fully comply with 2020 order

The petitioners prayed the court to declare ‘a violation of fundamental rights’ the non-implementation of the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018, particularly its Sections 5, 9 and 10, in Hyderabad district.

They requested the court to direct the respondents to forthwith ensure effective implementation of the law; order establishment of at least one fully functional ‘observation home’ in Hyderabad district for lawful custody, care and rehabilitation of juveniles in accordance with the Section 5 of the Act.

They urged that the authorities concerned should be directed to establish ‘juvenile justice committee(s)’ in Hyderabad without delay under the Act; mandate the respondents to ensure that all eligible juvenile cases were referred to the proposed committee(s) under Section 10 of the Act for diversion in accordance with the Section 9 of the Act at all appropriate stages of the proceedings.

In their petition, they referred to the court’s Dec 2, 2020 order, mentioning that it was the responsibility of every district judge to ensure compliance of the law and make mechanisms so that meetings of the proposed committee(s) were held regularly for the purpose of disposal of cases through diversion under Section 9 of the Act.

The court said that government had established a Juvenile Justice Committee for each district, except three.

The Dec 2 order required district judges to ensure compliance of the 2018 Act and that the committees formed by Sindh government should perform their duties diligently and that committee members would submit compliance report on a regular basis to the district judges.

The petitioners said that a committee as required in Hyderabad was formed on Nov 4, 2019 but it remained ineffective and even nomination of a bar council member was not made. They said that the ‘special observation centre’, as required under Section 5 of the Act, had not been established for the implementation of the law in other parts of Hyderabad. Juveniles were forced to go to police stations like other offenders.

The bench noted that no effective implementation of the Act and Dec 2, 2020 order within Hyderabad was made.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026