NLU Odisha, CRY host panel discussion on Advancing Child-Centred Justice

The Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO) in collaboration with Child Rights and You (CRY) hosted a high-level panel discussion on “Advancing Child-Centred Justice” on June 3 at Cuttack.

Held as an official satellite event of the recently concluded 5th World Congress on Justice with Children, the panel brought together global experts and participants to further the international dialogue on child-friendly justice systems.

The main Congress was held in Madrid from June 2 to 4. The theme of the 5th Congress was “Advancing Child-Centred Justice: Preventing and Responding to Violence Affecting Children in Justice Systems".

The hybrid event in Cuttack placed a special focus on General Comment No. 27 by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which outlines state obligations to ensure children’s access to justice and effective remedies.

The session provided a platform to explore practical pathways for making access to justice a tangible and lived reality for every child.

The event featured renowned experts with extensive experience in child rights, justice systems, and public administration.

Among the eminent speakers were Justice Madan B Lokur, Chairperson of the United Nations’ Internal Justice Council and former Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice Savitri Ratho, Judge of the Orissa High Court and Chair of its Juvenile Justice Committee; and Shubha Sarma, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Odisha.

Also part of the panel were Prof Ved Kumari, Vice Chancellor of NLUO and Patron-in-Chief of the Centre for Child Rights; Sonal Kapoor, Founder-CEO of Protsahan India Foundation; Prof Rangin Pallav Tripathy, Registrar and Professor of Law at NLUO; and Subhendu Bhattacharjee, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange at CRY.

The discussion was moderated by Prof Biraj Swain, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor and Director of the Centre for Child Rights at NLUO.

The panel engaged in dialogue on multiple dimensions of children's access to justice, both within formal legal systems and in their everyday lived realities.

Speaking at the event, Justice Lokur underscored the critical need for meaningful access to justice for children, whether as victims, accused individuals or those in need of care and protection.

He drew attention to the widespread underreporting of violence against children, the significant backlog in inquiries, and the re-victimisation that many survivors endure due to systemic delays and insufficient support mechanisms.

Justice Lokur advocated urgent social audits of child protection commissions and children's courts along with increased political will and a shift toward restorative justice practices.

He emphasized that children interacting with the justice system must be approached with empathy and highlighted the necessity of evaluating schemes through the stages of awareness, implementation and performance audits.

Justice Savitri Ratho emphasized that access to justice must be transformative, going beyond mere physical access.

She highlighted the importance of trauma-informed procedures and consistent monitoring under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, particularly for children from marginalized communities.

Justice Ratho stressed that justice should not be seen as a privilege but as a promise owed to every child.

Further, Shubha Sarma reaffirmed the State’s dedication to child welfare through flagship initiatives like Subhadra and Ashirbaad.

She emphasized the importance of trauma-informed care, kinship-based adoption and inclusive rehabilitation models in reducing child incarceration and preserving their dignity.

Sarma noted that the timely delivery of justice plays a crucial role in helping children reintegrate into society. She said that Odisha is proactively moving toward implementing restorative justice frameworks.