| dc.description.abstract | Not every child or youth is fortunate enough to have a childhood they would like to remember. A handful of youngsters tend to end up in prison, as juvenile offenders. All too often, the concern offered by the government for children does not extend to those juvenile offenders who are yet vulnerable children when caught up in the wrong side of law despite the fact that they are also a portion of this society and the future of the country. Abuses against juvenile offenders who are perceived to be threats to the national security of the country that seem to be a phenomenon in the global context therefore remains as a hidden layer in Sri Lanka with less concern. Hence, it is of vital importance to every human being in the society to establish a stable foundation that could raise juvenile offenders as productive adults with a guarantee of a brighter future. It is true that, the deliberation drawn towards the juvenile offenders and juvenile justice in Sri Lanka by the government and the society have been increased to a considerably higher level due to the initiatives taken in the view of reintegrating juvenile offenders into the society through rehabilitation making the punishments more effective. However with the rise of the rate of juvenile offenders and abuses towards them in the recent years, it may be precisely pointed out that the existing policies and laws are not sufficient enough to reflect a proper solution for the protection of juvenile justice leading to the question, how a considerable concern with efficacy could be devised in the country regarding this issue. Therefore, this study intends to critically analyse the prevailing legal framework and to assess the institutional initiatives relating to juvenile offenders, failures in the existing system and to provide necessarylegislativeandinstitutional approaches for rehabilitation in order to properly reintegrate juvenile offenders for the enhancement of juvenile justice through the protection of juvenile offenders as a solution for the issue of effectively punishing juvenile offenders and preventing abuses against juvenile offenders that has become far more complex and sensitive in its entirety whilst striking a balance between juvenile justice and protecting national security. The objective of this study will be achieved by the utilization of both qualitative and quantitative research methods that involves a broad assessment of current legal instruments, their gaps and their adequacy to a relevant extent. | en_US |
