Section 16 in Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2014
16. Legal aid.
(1)The proceedings before the Board shall be conducted in non-adversarial environment, but with due regard to all the due process guarantees such as right to counsel and free legal aid.(2)The Board shall ensure that the Legal Officer in the District Child Protection Unit and the State Legal Services Authority shall extend free legal services to all the juveniles. The Legal Officer in the District Child Protection Unit and the State Legal Services Authority shall be under an obligation to provide legal services sought by the Board.(3)In the event of shortfall in the State Legal Services support, the Board shall be responsible for seeking legal services from recognized voluntary legal services organisations or the legal services clinics established by the Law Schools or University Faculty of Law.(4)The Board may also deploy the services of the student legal services volunteers and NGO volunteers in para-legal tasks such as contacting the parents of juveniles and gathering relevant social and rehabilitative information about the juveniles.(5)Any lawyer from the State Legal Services Authority, recognised voluntary legal services organization or a lawyer holding authorisation or vakalatnama from parents or-guardians of the juvenile and para-iegals of legal service clinics shall be entitled to visit and meet the juvenile in the observation home for the purposes of obtaining legal instruction(s), briefing and legal counselling.
