Mon Feb 24 12:36:21 UTC 2025: ## Madras High Court Orders Formation of Dormant Child Rights Commission
**Chennai, February 24, 2025** – The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to establish the inactive Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TNCPCR) by June 20, 2025. The commission has been dormant for three years due to pending legal proceedings.
The court’s order follows a statement by Social Welfare Secretary Jayashree Muralidharan, who informed the bench that a notification for applications to fill the positions of chairperson and members was issued on February 13th, with a deadline of March 20th. The government anticipates needing three months to process applications and select a chairperson.
While acknowledging the government’s understanding of the TNCPCR’s importance, the court noted the commission’s inactivity stemmed from a recently resolved court case. The court accepted the government’s timeline, granting an extension until June 20th for the commission’s reconstitution.
This order stems from a 2018 suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) initiated by the High Court at the Supreme Court’s request, focusing on child rights protection and the enforcement of relevant laws. The High Court’s decision also ensures compliance with previous Supreme Court directives from 2018, which expressed serious concerns about the slow implementation of laws like the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015 and the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. These directives included filling vacancies in child rights commissions and related bodies across the country.
First Piper 