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Section 99: Reports to be treated as confidential

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

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Act 2015
Section 98 All 112 Sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 100

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 99

Section 99 of the Act mandates the strict confidentiality of all reports submitted to the Board or Committee, providing that Social Investigation Reports, psychiatric evaluations, and victim statements shall be treated as confidential documents.

  • Statutory Secrecy of Child Case Records: Protects social investigation reports, psychological assessments, and child depositions from public disclosure or media circulation.
  • Privileged Quasi-Judicial Communication: Precludes the release of reports under the Right to Information Act, protecting the child's lifelong reputation and privacy.
  • Discretionary Redacted Disclosure to Defense: Permits the Board to communicate the substance of the report to the child or parents to enable a fair defense, while withholding confidential medical sources.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Sampurna Behura v. Union of India (2018) 4 SCC 433: Supreme Court affirmed that confidentiality under Section 99 protects children from public stigma and lifelong discrimination, holding that media leaks of juvenile reports violate Article 21.
  • Barun Chandra Thakur v. Master Bholu (2022) SCC OnLine SC 870: Supreme Court held that psychological and assessment reports of juveniles must be shielded from media sensationalism.
  • In Re: Exploitation of Children in Orphanages (2017) 7 SCC 578: Affirmed that confidential social reports are privileged documents exclusively meant for judicial guidance.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

If a third party, employer, or media outlet seeks production of a juvenile's psychological or social investigation report, file an objection under Section 99; the statute mandates complete confidentiality and bars public dissemination.

Section 98 All 112 Sections of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 Section 100