Pathways into Conflict with Law and The Reach of Child-Centred Justice: A Comparative Socio-Legal Study of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar Districts of Uttarakhand

Authors: Pradeep Lohani, Sushil Kumar Singh, Deepankur Joshi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37082/IJIRMPS.v14.i4.233178

Short DOI: https://doi.org/hcb57j

Country: India

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Abstract: This paper develops a comparative socio-legal account of offences allegedly committed by children in conflict with law and the institutional response in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand. It integrates the developmental and social context of children’s behaviour with an assessment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, rehabilitation and reintegration services, legal aid, diversion, and restorative practices. The proposed mixed-method design covers 235 participants: 150 children, 20 Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee members, 40 police officials, and 25 NGO or legal-aid personnel. The illustrative results indicate that property-related allegations form the largest category; offence profiles vary significantly across household-income groups; rehabilitation scores differ between the two districts; and access to legal aid is associated with a higher proportion of child-centred outcomes. Diversion and community-based restorative practices appear less consistently available than formal case processing. The discussion argues that offence prevention and lawful case management must be joined through early socioeconomic support, child-friendly procedure, individual care plans, qualified legal representation, district-level service standards, and measurable reintegration outcomes. The analysis does not infer causation from cross-sectional associations and does not treat alleged conduct as established guilt. The paper offers an ethically defensible template for replacing illustrative values with verified field data.

Keywords: children in conflict with law; juvenile justice; legal aid; rehabilitation; diversion; restorative justice; Uttarakhand

Paper Id: 233178

Published On: 2026-07-20

Published In: Volume 14, Issue 4, July-August 2026

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