As we celebrate another Women’s Day, it is worth looking back on the general progress made by Hon’ble courts across the country in indorsing the Constitutional mandate of gender equality.
The theme this year for International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. It indicates that a “challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change”
“We have highest respect for women, says Hon’ble Supreme Court while hearing minor rape victim’s case.”
On 1st March, 2021 made observations, the Hon’ble bench was hearing a petition filed by the accused, who had moved the Hon’ble apex court against a Hon’ble Bombay High Court order cancelling his anticipatory bail.
The Hon’ble Supreme Court bench further alleged that the reputation of the judiciary is in the hands of its lawyers, the “Bar”. The observations by the Hon’ble bench, were made while it was hearing a case of a 14-year-old pregnant rape victim seeking a nod to abort the foetus of almost 26 weeks.
The opinion of the Hon’ble SC on the auspicious occasion of International Women’s Day, celebrated worldwide on 08th March, 2021 come in the aftermath of recent criticism against the Hon’ble SC that it had asked a rape accused in another case whether he would marry the victim, who was a minor when the crime was committed.
Thereafter, CPI(M) politburo member and everal women’s rights activists, eminent citizens, intellectuals, writers and artists had written to the Hon’ble chief justice of India requesting him to withdraw his remarks seemingly made during the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of the accused. And demanded an apology.
It was also stated earlier that the Hon’ble apex court’s asking a rape accused whether he would marry the victim was based on ‘judicial records’ comprehending an undertaking from the man that he would marry the minor girl, a relative after she turns 18 years of age.
Soon after, the Bar Council of India had backed the Hon’ble SC and asked activists who had written to the Hon’ble CJI to withdraw his remarks to not “scandalise” the highest judiciary and take “political mileage” of its proceedings.
Lastly, on the occasion of Women’s Day, let’s take a pledge that as a woman, you will support any other woman who is in a position that you were once in. Whether you are a lawyer, a student of law, an entrepreneur, a working Mom, a scientist, or a Homemaker; we have all had experiences some sort of disparity because of being a woman.
In a recent landmark judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that all women army officers are now eligible for permanent commission, allowing them to be in commanding roles.
It’s how we remark the situation and then deal with it that makes us the woman we are. Women have been empowered by various laws passed by Parliament and by various guidelines issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India from time to time. In fact, the Constitution itself has given a special status to the women of India.
