SC to hear plea seeking speedy trial in rape cases (19)

New Delhi: Amid growing demand for stricter punishment for offences
against women, the Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL
for setting-up fast-track courts all over the country for speedy trial of rape
cases. The PIL, filed by retired IAS officer Promilla Shankar, also seeks
suspension of MPs and MLAs who have been chargesheeted for crime
against women. Meanwhile, another bench of Justice P Sathasivam and
Justice Ranjan Gogoi issued notices to the Centre and all the states on
another PIL seeking security measures for women. Filed by advocate
Mukul Kumar the PIL seeks creation of women police stations in every
town to investigate complaints of rape and sexual assault against women
and implementation of UN convention on elimination of all forms of
discrimination against women. "In spite of international agreements, the
denial of women's basic human rights is persistent and widespread. As per
a study, conducted by the Centre for Social Research, 18 women were
tortured every hour in some way or the other across the country," the
petition said. In her PIL, Promilla said no effort was being made for
effective implementation of existing laws for safety of women. "Punitive
actions are being taken only after incidents are reported by media, but no
reformatory or systematic improvements are being made ... People are
getting frustrated by absence of deterrent effect of law on criminals and
innocent people are suffering due to misuse of police power." (Hindustan
Times 2/1/13)
No fast track courts for women in Gujarat (19)
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is yet to put justice for women on the fast track!
Even as states like Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala and of
course Delhi announced fast track courts for speedy justice to women in
the aftermath of national upsurge against Delhi gang rape, Gujarat has no
courts dedicated to women. Delhi announced six fast track courts for
women, Maharashtra 25, West Bengal 88! Gujarat has not yet woken up to
the fact that the women in the state need such courts for speedy trials and
justice. Advocate Meena Jagtap said fast track courts dedicated to women
with women judges and women public prosecutors should be started on
top priority by Gujarat government for speedy delivery of justice to the
women wronged in the state. "First thing, women especially those who
have been raped feel extremely humiliated and are hesitant to testify
before male advocates and judges. Secondly, I have witnessed in some
cases that judges themselves advised women to work out a compromise.
In such a situation, the case is resolved but justice is not done", said
Jagtap. Nupur Sinha of Center for Social Justice (CSJ) said Gujarat has no
dedicated women court. "Gujarat needs fast track courts dedicated to
women for the simple reason that we have found it difficult to sustain the
interest of the litigants or women survivors or witnesses over a long period
of time. When the case drags on for long years, the victim gets tired of
coming to the court and a compromise is reached due to pressure from the
community or relatives", said Sinha. Legal secretary V P Patel said the
state had begun fast track courts in the year 2001 and the functioning of
these courts were stopped in 2010. Legal eagles said that these were
funded by the central government and were stopped when the funds did
not come. Patel said while there were no special fast track courts
dedicated to women ever in the state, following the Supreme Court
direction, women judges were asked to handle women related cases,
wherever possible. Pradeepsinh Jadeja, minister of judiciary

This is a collection of previously published news and views from the print as
well as the electronic media, whose reference marked at the end of each news
items. Department of Documentation and Library (DDL) of the Indian Social
Institute, New Delhi neither claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor
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and law, says that there are 35 women courts or naari adalats which are
under the women and child development department. When asked about
government starting fast track courts especially dedicated to women in
Gujarat, he said, "No such matter has been brought to his office for
consideration". (Times of India 6/1/13)
Wife-beating not accepted social norm, observes SC (19)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has expressed its anguish over a judgment
delivered by a Karwar sessions court judge, which suggested that beating
wife was a normal facet of life. Describing the judgment as perverse, a
bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai asked for
bringing in change in the mindset of judges in order to deal with the
phenomenal rise in the women.