-The Indian Express State institutions have been complicit in denying justice to the victim. The criminal justice system of the country is “virtually collapsing” and “as it is slow, inefficient and ineffective, people are losing confidence in the system”. This was stated by the Justice Malimath Committee (2000-2003), which had been constituted to recommend reforms in the criminal justice system. Thanks to certain lobbies, the salient recommendations of the Committee were...

-The Indian Express The century-old the law against homosexuality was imposed on pre-independent India in accordance with the Christian principles on which the British kingdom was founded. New Delhi: India was introduced to the law against homosexuality almost 80 years before it became independent. At its zenith, the British Empire as part of its ‘civilising mission’ imposed the criminal law of England, including the anti-sodomy law, on its colonies.  While the...

-The Indian Express Data on hate crime needs to be collected through recording bias indicators, group identity of victims and the nature of violence. In the midst of a perceptible rise in cases of lynching and mob violence against religious and caste minorities, the Supreme Court has called for firm action to prevent, remedy and punish these horrific acts. On July 17, the Court issued guidelines and also recommended that Parliament enact...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved guidelines for granting special remission to certain categories of prisoners, including women, transgenders and the differently abled, as part of commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. According to the decision, women and transgender convicts who are at least 55 years old and have completed half their sentences will be granted the remission and set...

-The Indian Express Quoting data from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights — the apex body for child rights — the minister said although 31 states notified their Victim Compensation Scheme under the POCSO Rules, the disbursements “has not been uniform or satisfactory”. New Delhi: Asserting that minor boys are the “most neglected victims of sexual abuse”, Union Minister for Woman and Child Development (WCD) Maneka Gandhi, on Wednesday, wrote to...