Supreme Court considers framing guidelines for safety of women, children and transgender persons

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a plea seeking formulation of pan-India guidelines aimed at ensuring a safe environment for women, children and transgender persons in the society.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to various ministries and concerned departments of the Central Government in this matter. Also, the next hearing of the case has been scheduled in January.

Petitioner’s argument: Ignoring sexual harassment cases

The petition was filed by senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani on behalf of the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association. He said that many incidents of sexual harassment against women are taking place in small towns, but they are not being recorded.

Special case:

He cited the incident of rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital. Pavani said that after this incident, about 95 other incidents of sexual violence took place, but they were not exposed.

Demand for harsh punishment

Pavani suggested that harsher punishments, such as chemical castration, should be given to criminals as in Scandinavian countries.

Back reaction:

However, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said that some of the requests contained in the petition were barbaric and appalling, so they would not accept them. But there are some issues that need serious consideration.

Awareness and safety in public transport

The Supreme Court stressed on ensuring safety and fair treatment of women in public transport.

Justice Surya Kant’s statement:

He said there is a need to run awareness campaigns for “appropriate social behaviour” in buses, metro, and trains.

• Do’s and Don’ts: It is important to tell the passengers how they should behave in public transport.
• Strict enforcement: He said that many unfair incidents have come to light in airlines also, hence there is a need to strictly enforce the rules.

Context of Nirbhaya case

Referring to the anniversary of the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case, Mahalakshmi Pavani said that despite that horrific incident, guidelines to ensure the safety of women are not being implemented effectively in the society.

Raised questions:

He said, “Strict laws and guidelines are in place, but the question is whether they are being implemented properly?”

notice to central government

Expressing concern over this, the Supreme Court said that it is important to see where the implementation of the rules is lacking.

Court’s direction:

• The bench said that notice should be issued to the central ministries and their respective departments through the office of the Attorney General.
• The next hearing will be held in January, where the government’s response will be considered.