Section 54

Where a child or young person is charged before a Juvenile Court with any offence for the commission of which a fine may be imposed and damages and costs or either or both of them may be awarded, and the Juvenile Court is of the opinion that the case would be best met by the imposition of all or any of those penalties whether with or without any other punishment, the Juvenile Court may, in such case, and shall, if the offender is a child, order that the fine imposed and damages or costs awarded be paid by the parent or guardian of the child or young person, unless the Juvenile Court is satisfied that the parent or guardian cannot be found or that he has not conduced to the commission of the offence by neglecting to exercise due care of the child or young person.

Where a child or young person is charged with any offence, a Juvenile Court may order his parent or guardian to give security for his good behaviour.

Where a Juvenile Court thinks that a charge against a child or young person is proved, the Court may make an order on the parent or guardian under this section for the payment of damages or costs or requiring him to give security for the good behaviour of the child or young person, without proceeding to record a finding of guilt against the child or young person.

An order under this section may be made against a parent or guardian who, having been required to attend, has failed to do so, but, save as aforesaid, no such order shall be made without giving the parent or guardian an opportunity to be heard.

Any sum imposed and ordered to be paid by the parent or guardian under this section, or on forfeiture of any such security, may be recovered from him in the manner provided by the Criminal Procedure Code [Cap. 68] in like manner as if the order had been made on the conviction of the parent or guardian of the offence with which the child or young person was charged.