The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a criminal conviction recorded when a person was a minor cannot be treated as a legal barrier to the issuance of a passport.

The court emphasised the rehabilitative philosophy of the juvenile justice system and highlighted the importance of allowing individuals to rebuild their lives without lifelong stigma attached to offences committed during childhood.

The case involved a petitioner whose passport application was rejected by the regional passport office in Lucknow on the basis of an adverse police report and the existence of a past criminal conviction.

The petitioner had been convicted in 2010 by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Gorakhpur for offences of rape and kidnapping when he was 16 years and 10 months old.

He applied for a passport in January 2020, but his request was rejected in March 2021 on grounds including alleged non-response to official notices regarding pending criminal matters.

Upon appeal, the High Court bench observed that the conviction recorded by the JJB could not be used to permanently stigmatise the petitioner or deny him essential travel documentation.

The judges underlined the concept of the 'right to be forgotten' in juvenile cases, which supports the removal or non-reliance on records of delinquency to enable a fresh start in life.

The court further noted irregularities in the authorities’ handling of the case, stating that the rejection appeared influenced by displeasure over earlier contempt proceedings initiated by the petitioner regarding administrative delay.

It also criticised the passport office for showing a lack of proper application of mind and for incorrectly recording the existence of pending criminal cases.

Ultimately, the court quashed the rejection order and reinforced that juvenile convictions cannot automatically disqualify an individual from obtaining a passport.