National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has issued guidelines for Juvenile Justice Institutions of country to provide Juveniles' care and legal services. These guidelines were issued in response to the compliance of the order dated 19.08.2011 of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Sampurna Behrua v. Union of India & Ors. W.P.No. (C) No. 473/2005 [PDF] decided on 9th Feb 2018 to establish legal aid centers attached to JJBs. The Judgement was written by Justice Madan B Lokur and is highly recommended for the area of child rights.

The following guidelines have been issued under the sign of Member-Secretary, National Legal Services Authority.
1. When a child is produced before Board by Police, Board should call the legal aid lawyer in front of it, should introduce juvenile / parents to the lawyer , juvenile and his/her family/parents should
be made to understand that it is their right to have legal aid lawyer and that they need not pay any fees to anyone for this.
2. JJB should give time to legal aid lawyer to interact with juvenile and his/her parents before conducting hearing.
3. Juvenile Justice Board should mention in its order that legal aid lawyer has been assigned and name and presence of legal aid lawyers should be mentioned in the order.
4. Board should make sure that a child and his parents are given sufficient time to be familiar with legal aid counsel and get time to discuss about the case before hearing is done.
5. Juvenile Justice Board should make sure that not a single juvenile’s case goes without having a legal aid counsel.
6. Juvenile Justice Board should issue a certificate of attendance to legal aid lawyers at the end of month and should also verify their work done reports.
7. In case of any lapse or misdeed on the part of legal aid lawyers, Board should intimate the State Legal Services Authority and should take corrective step.
8. Juvenile Justice Board and the legal Aid lawyers should work in a spirit of understanding, solidarity and coordination. It can bring a sea-change.
9. Legal Aid Lawyer should develop good understanding of Juvenile Justice Law and of juvenile delinquency by reading and participating in workshops/ trainings on Juvenile Justice.
10.Legal Aid Lawyer should maintain a diary at center in which dates of cases are regularly entered.
11. If a legal aid lawyer goes on leave or is not able to attend Board on any given day, he/she should ensure that cases are attended by fellow legal aid lawyer in his/her absence and that case is not neglected.
12.Legal Aid lawyer should not take legal aid work as a matter of charity and should deliver the best.
13.Legal Aid Lawyer should raise issues/ concerns/ problems in monthly meeting with District Legal Services Authority.
14.Legal Aid Lawyer should maintain file of each case and should make daily entry of proceeding.
15.Legal Aid lawyer should not wait for JJB to call him/her for taking up a case. There should be effort to take up cases on his/her own by way of approaching families who come to JJB.
16.Legal Aid Lawyer should inspire faith and confidence in children/ their families who cases they take up and should make all possible efforts to get them all possible help.
17.Legal Aid lawyer should abide by the terms and conditions of empanelment on legal Aid Panel.
18.Legal Aid lawyer should tender his/her monthly work done report to JJB within one week of each month for verification and should submit it to concerned authority with attendance certificate for
processing payments.
19.Legal Aid Lawyer must inform the client about the next date of hearing and should give his/her phone number to the client so that they could make call at the time of any need.
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Guidelines can be accessed as read here.