CrPC Section 27
Section 27 CrPC – Jurisdiction in the case of juveniles
Essence of the Section
When an offender is under the age of 16 years and is charged with committing an offence, that person should not be tried by an ordinary criminal court but instead by a special court meant for juveniles (now called the Juvenile Justice Board under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015).
Key Points of Section 27
Applicability
This section applies when the accused is below 16 years of age at the time of commission of the offence.
It applies to any offence, whether petty or serious.
Trial by Special Court
Such cases are to be tried by:
Any Court specially empowered under the Children Act, 1960 or any other law in force relating to juvenile offenders.
In present-day context: Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 governs such cases.
Objective
The law recognizes that children/juveniles should not be treated like adult criminals.
The focus is on rehabilitation and reformation, not punishment.
Connection with Juvenile Justice Act
The Juvenile Justice Act has now taken over the field of dealing with offences by children.
Juveniles are not sent to jail with adult criminals but are handled by Juvenile Justice Boards and, if necessary, placed in Observation Homes or Special Homes.
Example
A 15-year-old boy commits theft.
He cannot be tried in a regular Magistrate’s or Sessions Court.
His case will go to the Juvenile Justice Board under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The focus will be on counselling, education, and rehabilitation instead of imprisonment.
Purpose of Section 27
To provide special protection to children in conflict with law.
To ensure they are not exposed to the harsh environment of regular criminal courts and prisons.
To balance justice with reform and welfare.
✅ In summary:
Section 27 CrPC states that offences committed by persons under 16 years of age must be tried by courts empowered under juvenile laws, not ordinary criminal courts. Today, this essentially means they fall under the Juvenile Justice system, which emphasizes reform, care, and rehabilitation rather than punishment.
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