(1) Whenever any person is brought before a competent authority under any of the provisions of this Act as a child the competent authority shall make due inquiry as to the age of that person and after taking such evidence as may be necessary, record a finding whether the person is a child or not stating his age as nearly as may be. The age so found by the competent authority shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be the true age of such person.
(2) No order of a competent authority shall be deemed to have become invalid merely by any subsequent proof that the person in respect of whom the order has been made is not a child.
32. Circumstances to be taken into consideration in making orders under the Act—In making any order in respect of a child under this Act, a competent authority shall take into consideration the following circumstances, namely:
(a) the age of the child;
(b) the circumstances in which the child is living;
(c) the reports made by the probation officer;
(d) the religions persuasion of the child;
(e) such other circumstances as may, in the opinion of the competent authority, require to be taken into consideration in the interests of the child;
Provided that in the case of a delinquent child, the above circumstances shall be taken into consideration after the children's court has recorded a finding against the child that he has committed the offence:
Provided further that if no report of the probation officer is received within ten weeks of his being informed under Section 17, it shall be open to the children's court to proceed without it.