On June 5, 2025, the Gauhati High Court set aside a Sessions Court order that had declined to accept a school certificate as proof of age for determining juvenility under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The High Court emphasized that such certificates are valid evidence for age determination, as per Section 94 of the Act. The Sessions Judge had previously dismissed the school certificate, citing a lack of corroborative documents. However, the High Court found this reasoning flawed, noting that parents would not falsely state a child’s age anticipating future legal benefits. Consequently, the High Court directed that the petitioner be considered a juvenile, being under 18 years of age on April 10, 2009.

This ruling aligns with the Supreme Court’s stance that statutory documents like school or birth certificates should take precedence over medical assessments when determining age under the Juvenile Justice Act.

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