48. Jurisdiction of Juvenile Courts
Feedback & supportSubject as hereinafter provided, no charge against a child or young person shall be heard by a court of summary jurisdiction which is not a Juvenile Court:Provided that —
child
“child” means —(a)in the case of a person employed or engaged to take part in any public entertainment, a person under the age of 16 years; and(b)in any other case, a person under the age of 14 years;
where a child or young person is charged with an offence or offences triable only by the High Court, he shall be tried by the High Court;
a charge made jointly against a child or young person and a person who has attained the age of 16 years shall be heard by a court of appropriate jurisdiction other than a Juvenile Court; or
where in the course of any proceedings before any court of appropriate jurisdiction other than a Juvenile Court, it appears that the person to whom the proceedings relate is a child or young person, nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the court, if it thinks fit to do so, from proceeding with the hearing and determination of the proceedings.
A Juvenile Court shall have jurisdiction to try all offences which, but for subsection (1), would be triable only by a Magistrate’s Court or a District Court.
juvenile
“juvenile” means a male or female person who, in the opinion of any court, is 7 years of age or upwards and under the age of 16 years;