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Juvenile Delinquency refers to the antisocial and criminal behaviour involving individuals below the age of 18. Juvenile Delinquency has consistently been a problem in the world, Nigeria inclusive. In Nigeria, juvenile offenders are treated differently from adults, although this has not always been the case. This paper discussed the emergence of the Child's Right act in Nigeria in 2003 which was designed to ameliorate the plight of children and young persons who found themselves on the justice corridor. This paper analysed the major content of the CRA as it relates to Juvenile delinquency, from arrest to committal procedures. This paper revealed that the important first step of legislative reform has been successfully achieved and some machinery has also been put in place at the Federal level and in a few States of Federation (Lagos State in particular), to adequately implement and restore the dignity of young offenders to become good ambassadors of the society. The paper therefore concluded that there is likely to be gaps between the laws on the books and the law in practice in juvenile justice system. There is need for government to set up Monitoring and evaluation apparatus to ensure compliance to the law.
Keywords: Juvenile, Child Rights Act, dignity, offender, justice.
For centuries, children have been regarded as little better than the chattels of their parents. Adults of every generation often have complained about the unruly conduct of youths. Youths have long been known for the tendency to be rowdy, to drink excessively to fight with one another and to be sexually active. The concept of "juvenile delinquency" as a phenomenon distinct from adult criminality is a relatively recent historical invention (Alemika 1990).
Earlier societies did not make the distinctions among childhood, adolescence, and adulthood that we make today. Today, the law no longer regards a child purely as a chattel; a number of legal developments have been responsible for this change, notably the juristic shift from parental responsibility, the introduction of the paramantoiy principle and the creation of local authority powers for the protection of children (Reid 1999).
Modern families are expected to be child centered and protective of children. This was not the case in earlier times. Infanticide, the deliberate killing of unwanted infants, particularly twins and...