The juvenile justice is an area where activism is required to be spear-headed with all earnestness as future of the society is factored by how the young people are treated by the society and Juvenile Justice cannot be narrowed in how children-in-conflict with law are dealt with, said the Chief Justice.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, the Editor In-Chief of the newsletter, said the children are considered to be gifts from God, they are like buds in a garden and to be carefully and lovingly nurtured and preserved and all of us particularly the parents, guardians, teachers and society as a whole have a duty and responsibility to see that these greatest personal as well as national assets should be allowed and provided opportunity to grow up in a healthy socio-cultural environment so that they could become responsible citizens, physically fit, mentally alert and morally healthy.

He said it is also the duty of the State to provide equal opportunities for development to all children during the period of their growth which would reduce inequality and ensure social justice. Justice Sahoo commended the State Government of Odisha for taking steps in that respect. He emphasized on alterative measures other than detaining children and said that detention wastes both their childhood and valuable public resources that could be put to better use. He stressed upon the need of the social welfare and justice systems working together in developing alternative programmes to prevent the detention of children.

He also emphasized on regular school attendance and vocational skills training of children and their participation in life skills programmes and competency development programmes like responsible decision making, communication skills, problem solving, anger management as well as participation in constructive leisure time, regular attendance of prayers/religious ceremonies, and individual or group counselling of the children with or without parents/guardians/family members.

The newsletter was being published regularly by the Juvenile Justice Committee of High Court till 2019 but it was discontinued during Covid-19 pandemic. Now its publication has been resumed with release of the latest issue. There are plans to enrich the contents and to incorporate new features and columns in the journal, unique research based findings and breakthroughs in the fields.

There are also plans to change the outlook of the journal by designing a new front and back cover of the newsletter and provide a platform for creative photography, paintings and other activities of children who are lodged in different Children’s Home, Specialized Adoption Agencies, Open Shelters, Observation Homes, Special Homes throughout the State.

Among others, Commissioner of Women & Child Development Subha Sharma, Director of ICDS Lingaraj Panda, UNICEF Field Officer, Odisha Manna Biswas, Judicial Officers of the State, Member Secretary and Officers, OSLSA, Director and Officers of Odisha Judicial Academy were present.

Inaugurating the moot court hall, he focused on the changing societal condition and the need for change in law. He cited the recent amendments in Indian Penal Code (IPC), Indian Evidence Act and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). He quoted Thomas Jefferson saying that law should be made so as to achieve justice. The purpose of law is social control and democratic governance, he said.

The Chief Justice was of the view that democracy should always stand against draconian laws and to seek to change them. He tried to explain the impact of changing laws on society through the ideas of Denning and W. H Friedman.

Professor in the Faculty of Law, Siksha ‘o’ Anusandhan University (SOA) Prof. Jayadev Pati commended the effort of creating this moot court hall. He was also of the view that law should be made instrument of social progress, legal education has a role in it. And there is a lot of opportunity for hardworking students through moot court experiences, he added.

Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University Prof. Sabita Acharya stressed on the importance of research in laws. Moot courts would provide a recreation of real court room experiences and understanding the court proceedings. It would also increase the sense of team work among the students, she said.

On the occasion, a book on gender equality, social justice and role of civil societies was also unveiled.