also: しょうねんしんぱんしょ
noun
juvenile court
A court that handles cases involving minors. In Japan, this refers to the family court division that adjudicates juvenile delinquency and protection cases.
少年審判所は非行少年の更生を目的としている。
The juvenile court aims at the rehabilitation of delinquent minors.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading しょうねんしんぱんじょ is more common than しょうねんしんぱんしょ.
Alternate reading; less common but still encountered.
Family court; a broader institution that handles not only juvenile cases but also domestic relations and family disputes. 少年審判所 is a division within the family court.
Compound of 少年 (juvenile), 審判 (judgment, trial), and 所 (place, office). The term is a direct translation of the Western legal concept of a juvenile court.