Chennithala welcomes HC suggestion to lower juvenile justice age limit to 16

Thiruvananthapuram: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has welcomed the Kerala High Court's suggestion to amend the Juvenile Justice Act and lower the age limit for treating offenders as juveniles from 18 to 16 years.

Chennithala said the existing law sometimes allows 18-year-olds involved in serious crimes to escape punishment under provisions protecting juveniles. He has long maintained that the age limit should be reconsidered in view of the increasing number of offences involving minors.

"I have been of the view that the age limit should be reassessed in the wake of rising juvenile crimes. I welcome the fact that the High Court has also expressed this view," he said.

The minister was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Sharjah International Book Fair.

This is not the first time Chennithala has called for a review of the law. Last week, he described the increasing number of crimes involving minors in Keralam as alarming and alleged that some juveniles were exploiting loopholes in the legislation to commit serious offences, including murder.

His remarks came amid public outrage over the murder of 17-year-old Abhiram in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this month. He was allegedly killed by a group of teenagers, including a 17-year-old.

Chennithala also cited recent accidents at Cheranelloor and Nedumbassery in which vehicles allegedly driven by teenagers claimed lives, arguing that the existing legal framework needed reconsideration.

The High Court has suggested reducing the age threshold under the juvenile justice framework to 16 years.