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4.
Juvenile Court.- (1) The Govemment in consultation with the concemed High
Court shall [by notification in the offrcial Gazette] establish or designate one or more Juvenile
Courts, within a period of three nronths of the commencement of this Act.
(2)
A Juvenile Court may be established for one or more
sessions divisions and in
that case the Juvenile Court may rold trial ofa case at such place as the High Court may sper:ify.
(3)
No person shall be appointed as a Judge of a Juvenile Court unless he is or
has
been a Sessions Judge or an A,lditional Sessions Judge or a Judicial Magistrate vested with
powers under section 30 of the Code or a practicing advocate who has at least ten years standing
at Bar and the latter shall be ap rointed on such terms and conditions as the Govemmenl mav
determine in consultation with th,: concemed High Court.
(4)
The Juvenile
Cor Lrt
shall have exclusive jurisdiction to try cases in which a
juvenile is accused of commission ofan offence.
(5)
a
Subject to sub-section (4), on commencement of this Act all cases pending before
trial court in which
a
juvenile is accused of an offence shall stand transferred to the Juvenile
Court having j urisdiction.
(6)
The Juvenile Court shall not, merely by reason
ofa
change
in its composition or
transfer of a case u.nder sub-sect on (5) be bound to recall or re-hear any witness who has given
evidence and may act on the evicence already recorded.
(7)
Ifany court takial;
cogrLizance
ofan offence finds that an accused brought before
it is ajuvenile, it shall transfer his case to the Juvenile Court for fi.rther proceedings.
(8)
On taking
cogniz ance
of an offence, the Juvenile Court shall decide the case
within six rnonths.
(9)
Where the case is not decided within six months in terms of sub-section (8), the
Juvenile Court shall seek extension fiom the tligh Court concerned explaining the reasons for
not being able to decide the car;e within prescribed time-limit.
lf
no such extension has been