POCSO

In a sign of progress, various courts have urged that the age of consent be reduced from 18 years to 16. Even the CJI is against the criminalisation of adolescents engaging in consensual sex

The Meghalaya High Court...

The Delhi High Court recently observed that it was not expected that the victim, a child of tender age, would behave like an adult by raising the alarm promptly. It noted that the child, with his level of vocabulary and comprehension was able to describe the incident and present a clear picture

The Allahabad High Court...

The Gauhati HC’s anticipatory bail to nine men accused under POCSO shows there is no presumption of sexual assault in every case of child marriage. Most are consensual and need to be handled with care.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted interim relief to Zee News Anchor Deepak Chaurasia in a POCSO case, while imposing cost of Rs two lakh on him for wasting the valuable time and energy of courts as well as the prosecution

The Budaun special court...

A 16-year-old Muslim girl has become the focus of a petition in the Supreme Court where Muslim Personal Law clashes with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, which prescribes 18 years as the age for sexual consent. There are some precedents, but this case is an important landmark.

The POCSO Act criminalises all sexual activity for those under the age of 18, regardless of whether it is by mutual consent. In an era of internet, mobiles, OTT, movies and evolving minds of minors, how realistic is it for those aged 18 to consent to sex? Should it not be reviewed or reduced in the present circumstances?

The Supreme Court has as...