Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala High Court has said that now is the right time for the legislature to consider reducing the age limit of minors to 16 years. Kerala High Court Justice A. Badruddin, during the hearing of a petition, said that current trends show that children achieve sufficient maturity by the age of 16. Therefore, making appropriate amendments in the laws related to juveniles should be seriously considered. The next hearing in this case will now be held on November 24.
According to the news published in Live Law, Vinod Vikraman Pillai of Kollam has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court. The petition demands strict implementation of Sections 15A and 15B of the Kerala Excise Act. Under these sections, there is a ban on selling and drinking liquor to people below 23 years of age. The petitioner has given the example of a car accident in Nedumbassery on the morning of 11 October 2026. It has been said in the petition that the youth, under the influence of alcohol, hit the scooter with the car. Due to which three people lost their lives. Kerala High Court has sought reply from the Excise Commissioner in this matter. The court has asked what steps have been taken to implement the provisions of the Kerala Excise Act. How can this law be made more effective to protect the public from danger?
In India, a person under the age of 18 years is considered a minor under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. If a juvenile is between 16 to 18 years of age and commits a heinous crime, the Juvenile Justice Board can examine the mental and physical capacity of the accused. In such cases, there is a provision to try him as an adult, but death sentence or life imprisonment cannot be given. In such a situation, despite committing various crimes, minors are released after being kept in children's homes for a certain number of years.