Women lawyers will now get redressal against sexual harassment at workplace. The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed all courts across the country to have a committee for redressing the complaints in line with its landmark Vishaka judgment of 1997.
Framing the Gender Sensitisation and Sexual Harassment of Women in the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Regulations 2013 the apex bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices AR Dave and Ranjana Desai ordered the regulations to be enforced by every High Court and trial court in the country.
As per the Regulations, an Internal Complaints Committee was to be constituted where complaints would be addressed by women lawyers who were victims of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment would include physical contact, passing of sexually coloured remarks, exhibiting pornography, sending sexually coloured messages, stalking, voyeurism, and demand for sexual favours.
The composition of the Complaints Committee at Supreme Court is to be not less than seven members of which one member will be a judge of the apex court, a senior member, a member of SC Bar Association, lady Bar member, lady representative of SC Clerks Association, woman officer of Supreme Court, and an outside member associated with Social Welfare Department or reputed NGO.