CJI's call to end bias against women

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 5. The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dr. A.S. Anand, has called upon judges to ensure that victims of rape and other such offences were not subjected to further indignity and harassment at the trial stage in the courts.

Inaugurating a judicial colloquia on Gender and Law organised jointly by the National Judicial Academy (NJA) and the British Council, the CJI said that while a murder destroyed the physical frame of the victim, rape destroyed the very soul of the person.

Rape was violation of human rights of women as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, viz. the right to live with dignity. Dr. Anand suggested to the judicial officers/judges to hold in-camera trial while dealing with cases of rape, sexual abuse etc.

Courts should avoid playing to the gallery which subjected women to uncalled for harassment and indignity.

He also asked the judicial officers to curb the right to cross examination in criminal cases involving women as was being done in the United Kingdom. The CJI was of the view that judicial officers should not wait for Parliament to amend laws, but themselves should take steps.

He noted that people by and large were not aware of equality before law and equality of treatment as guaranteed by the fundamental rights.

The CJI wanted the judiciary to bring about change in attitude, motivation and awareness so that gender bias could be dispensed with.

Mr. L.C. Bhadoo, Registrar-General, Supreme Court, and Member- Secretary of the NJA, said the colloquia was being organised at many places in the next two months for imparting training to about 720 judicial officers.

The training project was designed to sensitise the judicial officers about the menace of gender bias and to increase awareness of gender issues.

Mr. Edmund Marsden, Director, British Council, South Asia, said under the joint venture project, judicial officers could have the benefit of Internet facilities, networking and video conferences.

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