Kerala High Court directs State to ensure adequate facilities at POCSO courts
The Kerala High Court has ordered the state government to ensure that special POCSO courts are equipped with adequate facilities and infrastructure. The court also mandated the appointment of sufficient exclusive public prosecutors trained in child psychology and law.
Why it matters
This ruling is critical for the protection of children and the effective administration of justice in sensitive sexual offense cases.
Finding that most of the special courts established under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), lacked adequate facilities, the Kerala High Court has directed the State to ensure that the courts comply with the guidelines under the Act.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice K.V. Jayakumar also directed the State to disclose the number of additional courts required for POCSO cases, in light of the Supreme Court’s directives.
The Supreme Court had directed each district in the country with more than 100 cases registered under the Act to set up special courts. The Union government was directed to fund the courts to support the appointment of the presiding officer, special public prosecutors and court staff.
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