Why are women members better choice in Juvenile Justice Board?

June 10, 2022 6:40am CST
In India in the quasi - judicial forum there is a trend to have social workers in addition to judges. For example in a Juvenile Justice Board in addition to judge there is a non - judicial member and a woman member. Generally as the Forum deals with offences committed by juvenile or children, presence of women softens up the forum. Do you think women have more patience and in such Forum if either the accused or the victim see a woman member they dont get traumatized?
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5 responses
@dgobucks226 (35621)
11 Jun 22
I think having a woman's input on the board might offer another perspective. Possibly a female may be more empathetic of the juvenile's situation which caused them to comit the crime. But it's just an assumption on my part, without a detailed case record it cannot be factually supported. My view is that board members should be chosen based on ability and qualification not gender.
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11 Jun 22
thanks DB out of the 3 members the District Judge has all the experience in the judiciary. The non judicial member being a social worker also has experience on mind of child. The woman member is created to show more compassion to the juvenile in conflict with law
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@dgobucks226 (35621)
11 Jun 22
@sathviksouvik Oh ok. I do see their reasoning behind the selections.
@aninditasen (16397)
• Raurkela, India
10 Jun 22
Having women members with patience is good but justice is blind and has to done equally to all be it adult or juvenile. It's better to appoint women with a legal background after all they too are living in a society that needs justice.
11 Jun 22
thanks Aninditaji while the District judge looks after adherence to court procedure, the woman member is there to stop the panel from asking rash questions. For example if a juvenile has committed theft and social investigation report shows he is an orphan and due to poverty had committed the offence, the woman members at least takes that factor as a mitigating factor. That still ends in liability and conviction
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@aninditasen (16397)
• Raurkela, India
11 Jun 22
@sathviksouvik The juvenile has to be punished to make him realize that he has done something wrong and has trespassed on others rights but has to be send to a correction home to learn to work hard and lead a decent life.
12 Jun 22
@aninditasen thanks Aninditaji you are well informed. Juveniles in India are given maximum sentence in 3 years stay in a special home. They can learn some vocational work like TV repairing and then earn their living after release from special home
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@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
10 Jun 22
Well it is probably right that a woman may be less daunting in appearance, but in all reality, women can be just as efficient at dealing out justice or can be just as harsh as anyone.
• Arvada, Colorado
11 Jun 22
@sathviksouvik In this country, it is the usual as any court. There is no exceptional difference as far as I know in juvenile courts as the regular courts. They do charge many juveniles as adults and throw them into hard core adult prisons..my God such barbaric system here.
12 Jun 22
@RebeccasFarm thanks Ocean I know in UK there are Crown courts and Juvenile Courts. if juveniles in conflict with law and brought before juvenile courts they are given sentences for rehabilitation like community sentence but not imprisonment
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11 Jun 22
thanks Ocean yes women are very efficient in adjudicating juvenile cases, but the motherly feelings in Juvenile Justice Board stops the juvenile from getting traumatized within the proceedings. What is the composition of Juvenile Courts in the USA?
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@JudyEv (340216)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jun 22
It possibly helps to have woman on the board but it shouldn't really make any difference to the outcome.
@JudyEv (340216)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jun 22
@sathviksouvik I really don't have any idea and it's too late at the moment for me to research it. I'm off to bed now.
12 Jun 22
@JudyEv thanks Judy it is interesting to note that legal systems in every part of the world are a bit soft in respect of juveniles in conflict with law
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11 Jun 22
thanks Judy what is the composition of Juvenile courts in Australia?
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@banksim (5256)
12 Jun 22
It help in understanding the problem in broad sense
12 Jun 22
thanks Bankimji yes in family courts also in India there are women counsellers
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14 Jun 22
@banksim excellent Bankimji in every state there are at least 10 or more JJBs
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@banksim (5256)
13 Jun 22
@sathviksouvik yes i am also from uttar pradesh india