The record
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- An expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Aniruddha Bose has recommended a sweeping overhaul of the language judges use in sexual offence cases, calling for a 'language ecosystem' that replaces patriarchal and moralistic expressions with survivor-centric terms.
- The report, prepared after analysing 125 trial court judgments, was made pursuant to Supreme Court directions in a suo motu case sparked by controversial observations from the Allahabad High Court.
- It lists expressions courts should drop, such as 'prosecutrix', 'lost her chastity' and 'outraged her modesty', and says judging women by their clothing or behaviour is 'unpardonable and impermissible'.
- Beyond language, it recommends courtroom measures including legal aid from the FIR stage, in-camera proceedings, victim identity confidentiality, and treating witnesses as 'guests' of the court.
What to watch next
- Whether the Supreme Court, which constituted the committee in a suo motu case, issues binding sensitivity norms or guidelines for courts in sexual assault cases.
- Whether courts and judicial academies begin adopting the report's survivor-centric terminology in judgments and training.
- Implementation of the recommended courtroom practices, such as legal aid from the FIR stage and victim identity confidentiality.
Who said what1
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Supreme Court committee
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“It is “unpardonable and impermissible in any civilised society” to judge a woman by the clothes she wears or draw conclusions about her virtue, modesty or character”
In the article
…SC panel urges overhaul of language adopted in sexual offence cases Apart from reforming judicial language, the committee recommended a series of courtroom practices aimed at making the justice system more sensitive. It is “unpardonable and impermissible in any civilised society” to judge a woman by the clothes she wears or draw conclusions about her virtue, modesty or character , an expert committee constituted pursuant to Supreme Court directions has said, recommending a sweeping overhaul of the language and approach adopted by judges in sexual offence cases to eliminate stereotypes and…
Coverage1
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Named India · Allahabad High Court · Aniruddha Bose · Anuradha Shankar · Lucy TV Zehol · Sonia Gokani · State Judicial Academies · Supreme Court · Surat Singh · Surya Kant
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