The State Law and Order Restoration Council
The Child Law
(The State Law and
Order Restoration Council Law No.9/93)
The 11th Waning Day of
1st Waso, 1355 ME
(14 July, 1993)
The State Law and Order Restoration Council hereby
enacts the following Law:-
Chapter 1
Title and Definition
1. This Law shall be called the Child Law.
2. The
following expressions contained in this Law shall have the meanings given
hereunder:-
(a) Child
means a person who has not attained the age of 16 years;
(b) Youth
means a person who has attained the age of 16 years but has not attained
the age of 18 years;
(c) Committee means the National Committee
on the Rights of the Child formed under this Law;
(d) Child
in need of protection and Care means a child
mentioned in section 32;
(e) Juvenile
offence means an offence under any existing law, for which a child is sent
up for prosecution to a juvenile court;
(f) Juvenile
Court means a court where the sittings of a judge on whom power to try
juvenile offences is conferred, are held;
(g) Guardian
means a person who takes custody of a child under a law or social
obligation;
(h) Custodian
means a person undertaking responsibility for the custody and care of a
child in need of protection and care in accordance with this Law;
(i)
Training School means a training school established by the Social Welfare Department,
to which a child in need of
protection and care or a child who has committed an offence is sent for custody
and care under this Law. This expression also includes a home recognized as a
training school by the Social Welfare Department;
(j)
Home means
premises, school, centre or department established by a voluntary social worker
or non‑governmental organization with the objective of taking custody and care
of a child in need of protection and care;
(k) Temporary
Care Station means a temporary care station established by the Social
Welfare Department for temporary custody and care of a child accused of having
committed a crime, during the trail of the case. This expression also includes
a home recognized by the Social Welfare Department as a temporary care station;
(l) Probation
Officer means a person assigned responsibility under this Law as a
probation Officer;
(m) Ministry
means the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Re‑settlement;
(n) Minister
means the Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Re‑settlement;
(o) Director‑General
means the Director‑General of the Social Welfare Department;
(p) Social
Welfare Officer means an officer of the Social Welfare Department who has
been assigned duties of a Social Welfare Officer under this Law or a person who
has been assigned duties under section 60.
Chapter II
Aims
3. The aims of this Law are as follows:-
(a) to implement the rights of the child
recognized in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;
(b) to
protect the rights of the child;
(c) to
protect in order that children may enjoy fully their rights in accordance with
Law;
(d) to carry out measures for the best
interests of the child depending upon the financial resources of the State;
(e) to enable custody and care of children
in need of protection and care by the State or voluntary social workers or non‑governmental
organizations;
(f) to enable a separate trial of a
juvenile offence and to carry out measures with, the objective of reforming the
character of the child who has committed an offence.
Chapter III
Formation of the Committee
4. The Government:-
(a) shall form the
National, Committee on the Rights of the Child consisting of the following
persons, in order to implement effectively and successfully the provisions of
this Law:-
(I) Minister,
the Ministry of Chairman
Social
Welfare, Relief and
Re‑settlement.
(II) Heads
of relevant Government Members
departments
and organizations.
(III) Representatives
from non- Members
governmental organizations
who are carrying out work in
the interests of children.
(IV) Voluntary
social workers Members
who are interested in the
affairs of children.
(v) A
person assigned responsibility Secretary
by the Chairman.
(b) may determine the Deputy Chairman and
Joint ‑Secretary as may be necessary in forming the Committee;
(c) may
determine the tenure of the Committee.
Chapter IV
Duties and Powers of the Committee
5. The duties and powers of the Committee are as follows:
(a) protecting and safeguarding the rights
of the child;
(b) giving
guidance as may be necessary in order that the relevant Government departments
and organizations may implement effectively and successfully the provisions of
this Law;
(c) co-operating and co-ordinating as may be
necessary activities of government departments and organizations, voluntary
social workers and non-governmental organizations relating to a child;
reviewing from time to time the progress made;
(d) obtaining assistance and co‑operation of
the United Nations Organizations, international organizations, voluntary social
workers or non‑governmental organizations for the interests of the child;
(e) giving guidance and supervision in
obtaining donations and property from local and foreign voluntary donors and to
enable effective utilization of such donations and property in the interests of
children;
(f) laying down and carrying out work
programmes in order to take preventive measures against occurrence of juvenile
crimes:
(g)
collecting from
relevant government departments and organizations and compiling the required
reports and statistics:
(h) reporting to the
Government from time to time on the activities of the Committee:
(i) carrying
out functions and duties on respect of the child,
as are assigned by the Government.
6.
The Committee
may:-
(a) form the State, Divisional, District or
Township Committees on the Rights of the Child and determine the functions and
duties thereof;
(b) supervise, guide and assist in the
activities of the Committees on the Rights of the Child formed under
sub-section (a).
7. (a) The
office work of the Committee shall be undertaken by the Social Welfare
Department;
(b) The
expenditures of the Committee shall be borne out
of the budget of the Social Welfare Department.
Chapter V
Rights of the Child
8. The State recognizes that every child has the right to
survival, development, protection and care and to achieve active participation
within the community.
9. (a) Every
child has the inherent right to life;
(b) The
parents or guardian shall register the birth of the child in accordance with
law.
10. Every child shall have the right to citizenship in accordance
with the provisions of the existing law.
11. (a) Maintenance,
custody and care of children, cultivating and promoting the all-round physical,
intellectual and moral development of the child shall be the primary
responsibility of parents or guardian;
(b) The child shall be
entitled to a monthly allowance for maintenance from his parents who fail or
refuse to maintain him.
12. Every child:
(a) shall have the right to live with and be
brought up by both parents or any one parent if they are alive;
(b) shall not
be separated forcibly from his or her parents, except, in a case where in
accordance with law, separation is necessary for the best interests of the
child;
(c)
shall have the
right to maintain contact on a regular basis with parents lawfully separated,
if it is not prejudicial to the interests of the child;
(d)
has the right to
guardianship in accordance with law, in respect of his person or property.
13. (a) Every
child who is capable of expressing his or her own views in accordance with his
age and maturity has the right to express his own views in matters concerning
children;
(b) The views of the child shall be given
due weight in accordance with his age and maturity, by those concerned;
(c) The child shall be given the opportunity
of making a complaint, being heard and defended in the relevant Government
department, organization or court either personally or through a
representative, in accordance with law, in respect of his rights.
14. Every child shall, irrespective of race, religion, status,
culture, birth or, sex:
(a) be equal before the law;
(b) be given equal opportunities.
15. Every
child-
(a) has the right to freedom of speech and
expression in accordance with law;
(b)
has the right to
freedom of thought and conscience and to freely profess any religion;
(c)
has the right to
participate in organizations relating to the child, social organizations or
religious organizations permitted under the law.
16. (a) In
order that every child shall not be subjected to arbitrary infringement of his
honour, personal freedom and security, relevant Government departments and
organizations shall provide protection and care in accordance with law;
(b) Security of the property of every child
shall be protected by law.
17. (a) Every
child shall have the right to be adopted in accordance with law;
(b)
The adoption
shall be in the interests of the child;
(c)
The adoptive
parents shall be responsible for the care and custody of the child to ensure
that there is no abduction to a foreign country, sale or trafficking, unlawful
exploitation, unlawful employment, maltreatment, pernicious deeds and illegal
acts.
18. (a) A
mentally or physically disabled child:
(i)
has the right to
acquire basic education (primary level) or vocational education at the special
schools established by the Social Welfare Department or by a voluntary social
worker or by a non-governmental organization;
(ii)
has the right to
obtain special care and assistance from the State.
(b)
The Social
Welfare Department shall lay down and carry out measures as may be necessary in
order that mentally or physically disabled children may participate with
dignity in the community, stand on their own feet and promote self-reliance.
19. (a) Every
child has the right to enjoy health facilities provided by the State;
(b)
The Ministry of
Health shall: -
(i)
lay down and
carry out measures for the survival of the child, immunization of child,
breastfeeding of the child, family planning, adequate nutrition for the child,
elimination of iodine deficiency disease, school health and family health;
(ii)
lay down and
carry out appropriate measures for the gradual abolition traditional practices
prejudicial to the health of the child;
(iii)
carry out
measures to minimize the child mortality rate and to maximize the population of
healthy children.
20. (a) Every
child shall: -
(i)
have
opportunities of acquiring education;
(ii)
have the right to
acquire free basic education (primary level) at schools opened by the State;
(b)
The Ministry of
Education shall: -
(i)
have an objective
of implementing the system of free and compulsory primary education
(ii)
lay down and
carry out measures as may be necessary for regular attendance at schools and
the reduction of untimely drop-out rates;
(iii)
make arrangements
for literacy of children who are unable for various reasons to attend schools
opened by the State.
21.
Every child shall
have the right to maintain his or her own cherished language, literature and
culture, to profess his or her own religion and to follow his or her own
traditions and customs.
22. (a) Every
child shall have the right to access to literature contributory to his or her
all-round development and to acquire knowledge;
(b)
The Ministry of
Information shall:-
(i)
produce and
disseminate children’s books which are of cultural benefit to children, which
promote and keep alive patriotism and which are aimed at the promotion of the
children’s moral well-being; encourage the production and dissemination of
children’s books by non-governmental organizations and private publishers;
collect and maintain by special arrangement children’s books at the libraries
establishment by the information and Public Relations Department;
(ii)
educate and
disseminate by mass media to ensure that children and their parents or
guardians are made familiar with the rights and ethics of the child and that
children have access to national and international news and information
concerning them.
23. Every child has the right to: -
(a)
rest and leisure
and to engage in play;
(b)
participate in
sport activities appropriate to his age;
(c)
participate in
cultural and artistic activities.
24. (a) Every
child has: -
(i)
the right to
engage in work in accordance with law and of his own volition;
(ii)
the right to
hours of employment, rest and leisure and other reliefs prescribed by law;
(b)
The Ministry of
Labour shall protect and safeguard in accordance with law to ensure safety of
children employees at the place of work and prevention of infringement and loss
of their rights.
25.
Every child has,
in accordance with law: -
(a)
the right to
inheritance;
(b)
the right of
possessing and holding property;
(c)
the right to sue
and be sued.
26.
In order that
every child may enjoy fully the rights mentioned in this law: -
(a)
the Government
departments and organizations shall perform their respective functions as far
as possible;
(b)
voluntary social
workers or non-governmental organizations also may carry out measures as far as
possible, in accordance with law.
27.
Persons having
responsibility in respect of the affairs of children shall have as their
objective the best interests of children under the principle “First Call for
Children” regarding protection and care of every child by the community.
Chapter VI
Exemption from Penal Action
28. (a) Nothing
is an offence which is done by a child under 7 years of age;
(b)
Nothing is an
offence which is done by a child above 7 years of age and under 12, who has not
attained sufficient maturity of understanding to judge of the nature and
consequences of his conduct on that occasion.
29.
No action shall
be taken under any Criminal Law against any child who has escaped from a
training school, temporary care station or a custodian.
Chapter VII
Ethics and Discipline of a Child
30. Every child shall abide by the following
ethics and discipline, according to his age: -
(a)
upholding and
abiding by the law;
(b)
obeying the
advice and instruction of parents or guardian;
(c)
obeying the
instruction of teachers and pursuing education peacefully;
(d)
abiding by the
school discipline, work discipline and community discipline;
(e)
cherishing and
preserving the race, language, religion , culture, customs and traditions
concerned with him;
(f)
abstaining from
taking alcohol, smoking, using narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances,
gambling and other acts which tend to affect the moral character.
Chapter VIII
Child in need of Protection and Care
(a)
one who has no
parents or guardian;
(b)
one who earns his
living by begging;
(c)
one who is of so
depraved a character that he is uncontrollable by his parents or guardian;
(d)
one who is in the
custody of a cruel or wicked parents or guardians;
(e)
one who is of
unsound mind;
(f)
one who is
afflicted with a contagious disease;
(g)
one who uses a
narcotic drug or a psychotropic substance;
(h)
one who is
determined as such from time to time by the Social Welfare Department
33. (a) Whoever
is of the opinion that any child mentioned in section 32 should be protected
and cared by the State may intimate the relevant Social Welfare Officer stating
the facts of the case;
(b)
Social Welfare Officer shall, on receipt of
the intimation under sub-section (a) or if he has personally received
information in any manner make investigations in the manner prescribed to
determine whether or not the child needs the protection and care of the State
and submit his findings together with his opinion to the Director General;
(c)
The Social
Welfare Officer has the following powers in respect of the investigation under
sub-section (b):-
(i)
informing the
parents, guardian or police officer and causing the child to be brought before
him;
(ii) entrusting the child to the parents or
guardian on execution of a bond or sending the child to a temporary care station,
before receiving the decision of the Director General
(iii)
calling and
examining necessary witnesses;
(iv)
hearing the
explanation of the parents, guardian or the child, if necessary
(a)
in the case of a
child whose character needs to be reformed, sending the child to any training
school till he attains the age of 18 years as a maximum period;
(b)
in the case of a
child in need of custody and care, entrusting the child to a home or to a
custodian till he attains the age of 18 years as a maximum period;
(c)
in the case of a
child needing supervision, causing the child to be supervised by a Probation
Officer for a period not exceeding 3 years;
(d)
in the case of a
child of unsound mind, sending the child to the Mental Hospital and making
arrangements for medical treatment;
(e)
in the case of a child
who is afflicted with a contagious disease, sending the child to the relevant
hospital and making arrangements for medical treatment.
35.
The director
General may direct the relevant Social Welfare Officer:-
(a)
to implement the
arrangement laid down under section 34 in the manner prescribed;
(b)
to entrust the
child to the care of the parents or guardian on execution of a bond to the
effect that they will take good care and control of the child, in the case of a
child who has parents or guardian and who is found, on scrutiny-to need only
the custody and care of such parents or guardian;
(c)
to entrust the
child to the care of the parents or guardian, with or without execution of a
bond, in the case of a child who is found, on scrutiny to have complied with
the arrangement laid down under section 34, sub-section (a) or sub-section (c)
for at lease one year and whose moral character has improved.
36.
The Director
General may: -
(a)
exercise the
power mentioned in section 35 sub-section (c) at his discretion or on the sub-mission of the principal of the
relevant training school or Probation Officer or the parents or guardian;
(b)
alter as may be
necessary any arrangement laid down under section 34 sub-section (b),
sub-section (d) or sub-section (e), if there is sufficient reason to do so;
(c)
transfer a child
committed to one training school to another training school, if there is
sufficient reason to do so;
(d)
grant the
following rights in the manner prescribed to a child committed to a training
school;-
(i) right to leave a training school as a
temporary arrangement to be placed under the management and supervision of a home or a custodian;
(ii) right to travel on an emergency parole
licence for the period required to visit his parents, guardian or near relative
who is seriously ill;
(iii) right to live out on a parole licence;
(iv) right to live outside the training
school with any suitable person, under the management and supervision of the
training school.
(e) delegate the powers conferred on him
under this section to a Social Welfare Officer or Principal of a training
school.
Chapter IX
Taking Action against a Child for an Offence
37.
A police Officer
or a person authorized to take cognizance shall abide by the following when
arresting a child accused of having committed an offence: -
(a)
shall not
handcuff the child or tie with a rope;
(b)
shall not keep
the child together with adult prisoners; if it is a girl, shall keep her with a
woman guard;
(c)
shall not
maltreat or threaten the child;
(d)
shall not send
the child together with adult prisoners from one place to another; if it is a
girl, shall send her with a woman guard;
(e)
shall inform the
parents or guardian concerned as soon as possible;
(f)
shall send up the
arrested child to the relevant juvenile court as soon as possible;
(g)
shall release the
child on execution of a bond, if the child cannot be sent up as soon as
possible to the juvenile court under sub-section (f);
(h)
shall send the
child to a temporary care station or to another appropriate place, if the child
is not released on a bond under sub-section (g).
38.
A Police Officer
or a person authorized to take cognizance:-
(a)
shall send up the
juvenile case for prosecution to the relevant juvenile court;
(b)
in a case of
joint commission of offence by a child and an adult, shall send up the child
for prosecution to the relevant juvenile court and the adult to the relevant
court;
(c)
in sending up a
child for prosecution, supporting evidence in respect of his age shall be sent
together.
39. A Police Officer or a person who is authorized to take cognizance,
in respect of a child who has escaped from a training school, home, temporary
care station or a custodian:-
(a)
may arrest him
without a warrant;
(b)
shall, after
arrest, commit him back to the custody of the training school, home, temporary
care station or custodian;
(c)
may commit him to
the custody of any other appropriate place, before being able to commit the
child back to the custody of a training school, home, temporary care station or
a custodian under sub-section (b).
Chapter X
Trial of
Juvenile Cases
40.
The Supreme Court
may: -
(a)
establish
juvenile courts in appropriate local areas and appoint juvenile judges;
(b)
in local areas
where juvenile courts under sub-section (a) have not been established confer
powers of a juvenile judge on a Township Judge.
41.
The Juvenile
Court shall: -
(a) on receiving a juvenile case, first and
foremost scrutinize the supporting evidence in respect of the age of the child,
contained in the proceedings. It shall
determine whether the offender is a child or not from the birth certificate,
citizenship scrutiny card, foreigner’s registration certificate, true copy of
an extract of school admission register, doctor’s medical certificate or other
valid supporting evidence contained in the proceedings;
(b) have jurisdiction only in respect of a
child who has not attained the age of 16 years at the time of committing the
offence. It shall place on record the
decision that the offender is a child, before proceeding with the trial of a
juvenile case;
(c)
during trial
release the child sent up for prosecution, on the execution of a bond, entrust
to the care of parents or guardian subject to conditions, commit to the custody
of a temporary care station or other appropriate place subject to
conditions. Under no circumstances shall
an order for detention be passed;
(d)
notwithstanding that a child has attained the age of
16 years during trial, continue to try the case, as if the accused were a child
and pass a sentence in accordance with this law;
(e)
try juvenile
offences punishable with death, transportation for life or imprisonment for a
term exceeding 3 years, in the manner in which a warrant case is tried;
(f)
try all juvenile
offences other than the type of offences mentioned in sub-section (e), in the
manner in which a summons case is tried.
(c)
may direct the
parents or guardian in whose custody and care the child is at present, to
attend every day on which the sittings of the court are held;
(d)
may allow
inserting and announcing of information revealing the identity of a child who
is accused of having committed an offence or a child who is participating as a
witness in any case, in the radio, television, newspapers, magazines, journals
and publications and displaying and making use of the photograph of the child,
if it is believed to be of benefit to the child;
(e)
may direct the
relevant Probation Officer to make inquires and to submit a report of the
personal history, character, conduct, behaviour and environmental circumstances
of the child and his parents or guardian;
(f)
may, if it is
considered appropriate inform the child or his parents or guardian of a gist of
the report submitted by the Probation Officer under sub-section (e) and allow
the submission of evidence to the contrary.
44.
The Juvenile
Court shall, before passing an order an on a child who is found guilty, take
the consideration the following and pass an order which is reformative and
which will be beneficial to the child: -
(a)
the age and
character of the child;
(b)
the environmental
circumstance of the child
(c)
the cause of
committing the offence;
(d)
the report
submitted by the Probation Officer;
(e)
other
circumstances which are required to be taken into consideration in the
interests of the child.
(a)
if the offence
committed is not serious and the character of the child is not yet perverted: -
(i)
may release him
after due admonition;
(ii) may impose a fine, if he has attained
the age of 14 years and has an income.
If he is a child who has no income, a fine may be imposed on the parents
or guardian;
(b)
whether the
offence committed is serious or not, if the character of the child is not yet perverted and in order to deter
further commission of offence, such child shall be entrusted to the custody of
his parents or guardian on execution of a bond for good behaviour according to
the conditions of the bond for a period not exceeding 3 years;
(c)
may cause the
child to submit to the supervision and management of the Probation Officer
during a period not exceeding 3 years;
(d)
whether the
offence is serious or not, if the child is of a perverted character or if the
child is not yet perverted but has no parents, guardian or if the child has
parents or guardian but cannot be admonished and is in no circumstances for
custody and care, may commit such child to the custody of any training school
for a minimum term of 2 years or till he attains the age of 18 years as a
maximum term.
48.
The Juvenile
Court may: -
(a)
in addition to
the sentence of imprisonment passed under section 46 or any order passed under
section 47 also pass an order directing the parents or guardian to pay
compensation for injury, loss or damage caused to any person by the act of the
child;
(b)
if in conformity
with the following conditions, pass on amending order to entrust a child who
has complied with the order passed under section 47 sub-section (c) or
sub-section (d) for at least one year, to the custody of the parents or
guardian concerned, with or without
abond: -
(i) improvement
in the moral character of the child;
(ii) being a child who has
parents or guardian;
(iii)
not being an
offence of violation of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law;
(c)
exercise the
powers mentioned in sub-section (b) on the application of the Principal of the
relevant training school, Probation Officer or parents or guardian.
49. (a) There shall be right of appeal or right
of revision in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure
against the order or decision passed under this Law by the Juvenile Court;
(b) If a sentence of imprisonment is passed
on the child by a Juvenile Court, or Appellate Court or Court of Revision, a
copy of the sentence shall be sent to the Ministry.
Chapter XI
Safeguarding Children Against Dangers
50.
The Police
Officer: -
(a)
shall, in order to safeguard a child who is
likely to be exposed to danger send up such child as soon as possible to the
relevant Juvenile Court:
(b)
may commit the child to the custody of a
temporary care station or other appropriate place before being able to send up
the child under sub-section (a).
51.
The Juvenile
Court: -
(a) may, if it believes on information or a
personal knowledge that a child is in danger or that if immediate action is not
taken, there is likelihood of danger befalling the child direct the Police
Officer to search for the child and send him up before it and to commit the
child to the custody of a temporary care station before being able to send him
up;
(b) shall protect a child sent up under
sub-section (a) or under section 50 sub-section (a) in any of the following
manner: -
(i) committing the child to the custody of
parents or guardian or custodian who agrees to accept and take custody and care
of the child;
(ii) sending the child to
a temporary care station to be taken care of until he is free from danger;
(c) may, if reliable information is
received that a child is abducted for any unlawful purpose or that the child is
being unlawfully detained direct the relevant Police Officer to take necessary
action for restoration of liberty to such child or for entrusting the child as
soon as possible to the custody of his parents or guardian.
Chapter XII
Custody and Care of Children and Youths in Prisons
52.
The Officer in
charge of a prison shall, in respect of a child or youth who has
been sentenced to imprisonment: -
(a)
not keep him
together with adult prisoners until he attains the age of 18 years;
(b)
keep him in a
separate ward or room to which adult prisoners cannot have access;
(c)
grant him the
right to meet parents, guardians, relatives and friends concerned and the right
to be sent food and prescribed articles in accordance with the exiting
regulations and bye-laws;
(d)
not employ him in
rigorous labour;
(e)
provide medical
check-up regularly for him;
(f)
train and give
him education which will reform his character and vocational education;
(g)
grant him the
right to enjoy remission period in accordance with the existing regulations and
bye-laws;
53.
The Officer in
charge of a prison: -
(a)
shall allow the
child of a female prisoner to stay
together with his mother in prison till he attains the age of 4 years if
there is no one outside to take custody and care of him or if his mother so
desires;
(b)
may allow the
child mentioned in sub-section (a) to continue to stay together with his mother
in prison till he attains the age of 6 years if his mother so desires;
(c)
shall be
responsible for providing food, clothing and shelter and health care of the
child who stays together with his mother in prison;
(d) shall inform the Director General of the Social Welfare
Department as soon as possible, in order to make arrangements for the care and
custody of any child left after a female prisoner dies in prison or if the
child staying together with the female prisoner attains the age of 6 years.
Chapter XIII
Training School, Temporary care station, Home, Residential Nursery
55.
The Director
General shall establish the following with the approval of the Minister: -
(a)
training schools
required for the custody and care of a child in need of protection and care or
a child who has committed an offence, who is entrusted under this Law;
(b) temporary
care stations required for the temporary custody and care during the period of
trial of a child who is accused of having committed an offence.
56. If the
Director General believes that a home established by a voluntary social workers
or a non-governmental organization with the intention of taking custody and
care of a child in need of protection and care: -
(a)
is appropriate
for the custody and care of children sent
under this law, such home may be recognized as being a training school
for the purpose of this Law;
(b) is appropriate for the temporary custody
and care during the trial of a child who is accused of having committed and
offence, such home may be recognized as being a temporary care station for the
purpose of this Law.
57. The
Director General may establish local residential nurseries required for nursing
and care of children who have not attained the age of 5 years.
58. The
Director General may exercise in the following powers: -
(a)
supervising,
inspecting, giving guidance, rendering expertise and giving support as may be
necessary to day nurseries and pre-primary schools established on self-help
system;
(b)
supervising,
inspecting, giving guidance, rendering expertise and giving support as may be
necessary to homes established by a voluntary social worker or by a
non-governmental organization;
(c)
supervising, inspecting, giving guidance and
rendering expertise to private day nurseries and pre-primary schools
established on payment of fees;
(d)
inspecting or
causing to be inspected by a suitable person or any committee training schools
and temporary cars stations established or recognized under this Law;
Chapter XIV
Power of the Minister
59. The Minister:-
(a)
may, at anytime
pass an order to release either absolutely or subject to conditions a child
committed to the custody of a training school or a custodian under this Law;
(b) may
pass an order to transfer a child undergoing imprisonment to a training school
or to a custodian till the day he
attains the age of 18 years, if it is considered beneficial for the child;
(c) may pass an order so that the remainder
of the term of imprisonment of a child who has been transferred under
sub-section (b) and who is behaving well shall not have effect;
(d) may cause to have effect the remainder
of the term of imprisonment of a child who has been transferred under
sub-section (b) and who does not behave well.
In so causing to have effect, the period of stay of the child at the
training school or with the custodian shall be reckoned as the term of
imprisonment undergone.
60.
The Minister: -
(a) may assign responsibility to a
Government employee or to a suitable citizen who is not a Government employee
as a Social Welfare Officer, in order to
carry out the functions and duties of the Social Welfare Officer under this Law
in local areas where an office of the Social Welfare Department has not been
opened as yet.
(b)
shall make prior
consultation with the relevant Government department or organization for
assigning responsibility to a Government employee as a Social Welfare Officer.
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