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Existing Laws on Violence Against Women To be Reviewed By NHRC

by Rukmani Krishna on Jan 4 2013 10:45 PM

 Existing Laws on Violence Against Women To be Reviewed By NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to organize a conference on January 8. The conference aims to discuss with various stakeholders, the existing laws for taking action against violators of women's dignity and explore the possibilities of making these more stringent.
Suggestions emerging out of the discussions will be sent to the government.

Recently, in the Statutory Full Commission meeting organized by the NHRC the issue of having a separate chapter in the Indian Penal Code on violence against women was discussed. NHRC chairperson Justice K.G. Balakrishnan had stated that the issue is very important and the law commission needed to take up this matter.

The Congress-led UPA Government, which has been forced on the backfoot over the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus in South Delhi on December 16 last year, has constituted a three-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India J.S. Verma to give recommendations on amending laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in sexual assault cases.

The three-member committee, which has sought suggestions from the general public by January 5, has issued a notice seeking suggestions from the public in general, particularly eminent jurists, legal professionals, NGOs, women's groups and civil society members in a bid to provide quicker justice and stringent punishment for crimes against women.

The committee, which was constituted after public protests erupted over the Delhi gang rape case, will look into possible amendments to the criminal law for faster trial and proper punishment for criminals accused of committing sexual assault of extreme nature against women.

The other members of the committee, constituted by the government, are Justice (Retd.) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, and Gopal Subramanian, former Solicitor General of India.

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Source-ANI


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