India, Sept. 27 -- When a child commits a crime, society is often quick to ask a familiar question: what punishment should follow? Juvenile justice requires a different question: what happens to the child after the offence?

That distinction lies at the heart of India's juvenile justice framework. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 does not treat a child in conflict with the law simply as an offender requiring confinement. Its architecture is built around care, protection, development, rehabilitation and social reintegration. The real challenge is whether this philosophy survives beyond the statute book.

The Supreme Court's judgment in Sampurna Behrua v Union of India remains a foundational authority in this...