THE Juvenile Justice Department, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued a reminder to media practitioners and members of the public regarding their legal and ethical duty to protect the identities of juveniles involved in legal proceedings.
The department pointed to Section 100(1) of the Juvenile Justice Act 2018, which expressly prohibits the publication of a juvenile’s name or any information that identifies, or is likely to identify, a child who is a party to, or otherwise concerned in, legal proceedings.
These statutory protections, the Department noted, exist to safeguard the privacy, dignity and welfare of children who come into contact with the justice system.
The Ministry stressed that breaches of this provision carry real legal consequences. Section 116 of the Act states that anyone who contravenes Section 100(1) commits an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of three hundred thousand Guyana dollars ($300,000) and up to six months’ imprisonment.
Officials warned that the unauthorised publication or dissemination of a juvenile’s name, photograph or other identifying details, whether through print, broadcast, digital or social media, may constitute a breach of the law, and reiterated that compliance is essential to protecting the rights and interests of children caught up in legal matters.
In light of this, the ministry is urging media organisations, journalists, editors, content creators and the wider public to exercise the highest level of responsibility when reporting on matters involving children.
Stakeholders are being asked to refrain from publishing or sharing any information that could directly or indirectly identify a juvenile involved in legal proceedings, to respect and protect the privacy, dignity and rights of every child, and to recognise the potentially lifelong consequences that unlawful disclosure can have on a young person’s life.
The ministry further encouraged media houses and other relevant parties to ensure ongoing compliance with the Juvenile Justice Act and other applicable child protection legislation through regular training and periodic review of their reporting practices.
Describing the protection of children as a shared national responsibility, the ministry called on all stakeholders, from newsrooms to individual citizens, to uphold the law and ensure that the rights, privacy and identities of juveniles are safeguarded at all times.