(1) The Government may, by notification, constitute one or more juvenile courts, for any area specified in the notification.
(2) A juvenile court shall be presided over by a single magistrate or by such bench of magistrates consisting of two or more magistrates as the Government may after consultation with the High Court, think fit to appoint, and where a bench is constituted one of the magistrates shall be designated as the principal magistrate, and one atleast of them shall be a woman.
Constitution of Child Welfare Boards.
Constitution of Juvenile Courts.
[Act No.26 of 1979] 7
(3) A juvenile court, where it is presided over by a bench of magistrates, may function even if one magistrate is present and no order made by the bench shall be invalid by reason only of the absence of any magistrate during any stage of the hearing of the proceeding.
(4) Every juvenile court shall be assisted by a panel of two honorary social workers possessing such qualifications as may be prescribed, of whom at least one shall be a woman and such panel shall be appointed by the Government.
(5) No person shall be appointed to preside over a juvenile court unless he is a magistrate of first class.
8. In the event of any difference of opinion among the members of a Board or among the magistrates constituting a bench, the opinion of the majority shall prevail but where there is no such majority, the opinion of the Chairman or of the principal magistrate, as the case may be, shall prevail.