Juvenile Justice System and Implementation of International Human Rights Conventions in Pakistan: A Policymakers and Practitioners’ Perspectives

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how Pakistan’s Juvenile Justice System Act (JJSA) 2018 reflects and implements international juvenile justice standards particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Beijing Rules, and the Riyadh Guidelines from the perspectives of key stakeholders. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 15 policymakers and practitioners, including legislators, ministry officials, judges, probation officers, and NGO representatives, the study applies thematic analysis to uncover implementation gaps and institutional challenges. Six major themes emerged: legislative alignment versus policy execution; resource and infrastructure deficiencies; unreliable age determination; limited use of diversion mechanisms; lack of training and stakeholder awareness; and weak monitoring and accountability systems. While participants acknowledged the JJSA as progressive and well-aligned with global norms, they emphasized that its impact is hindered by delays in procedural rulemaking, insufficient juvenile courts and observation homes, inactive Juvenile Justice Committees (JJCs), and widespread lack of child rights training among law enforcement and judiciary. The results of the study are instrumental in nuanced understanding of socio-cultural, legal and structural factors affecting juvenile justice system in Pakistan. It also emphasized the structural reforms including advancement in age verification of children and adopting robust diversion mechanism for juvenile reforms.