The cabinet given approval to amend the Juvenile Justice Act

Cabinet has approved the bill to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, which opens a pathway to treat minors above the age of 16, who are accused of heinous crimes like rape and murder, as adults.

The bill empowers the Juvenile Justice Board to decide whether a minor would be tried in a regular court or sent to a correctional centre. But in case a juvenile undergoes a regular trial, he can't be sentenced to death penalty or life imprisonment. The government plans to introduce the bill in the current session of Parliament.