Chief Justice of India (CJI) K G Balakrishnan on Friday rued that protective laws for children were not being properly implemented in the country. Addressing a seminar here on justice delivery standards for children, organised by the Legal Assistance Forum, Justice Balakrishnan pointed out that though there were appropriate legislations in place aiming at ensuring children’s welfare, the implementation of these still lagged. He cited the instance of the Juvenile Justice Act, which he said few states, with exceptions like Manipur and Orissa, were implementing seriously.

The CJI underlined that child labour continues to be a major problem in the country, and quoted a report that said 5,000 children still eked out a living on the streets of the Capital itself. He said that Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan were still grappling with this problem unlike Kerala that is relatively better off.