India passes tough new law for serious juvenile crimes

The Indian parliament has passed a bill which allows juveniles between 16 and 18 years of age to be tried as adults for serious crimes like rape or murder. At present, those under 18 can be sentenced to a maximum of three years in a reform facility. The move to change the law gathered momentum […]

The Indian parliament has passed a bill which allows juveniles between 16 and 18 years of age to be tried as adults for serious crimes like rape or murder.
At present, those under 18 can be sentenced to a maximum of three years in a reform facility.
The move to change the law gathered momentum after the youngest convict in the notorious 2012 Delhi gang rape was recently released from detention.
On Tuesday, the Juvenile Justice Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha – the upper house of the parliament. The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha – the lower house – in May.