{"id":117443,"date":"2026-08-06T09:19:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T03:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=117443"},"modified":"2026-08-06T09:19:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T03:49:01","slug":"supreme-court-gender-sensitivity-handbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/supreme-court-gender-sensitivity-handbook\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court Gender Sensitivity Handbook: From Language Reform to Compassionate Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Supreme Court Gender Sensitivity Handbook Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the Supreme Court has released a new report, &#8220;<\/span><b>Judgments and Gender: Sensitivity and Compassion in Writing Judgments<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It replaces the <\/span><b>2023 &#8220;Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> issued during CJI D.Y. Chandrachud&#8217;s tenure. The new document shifts focus from correcting judicial language to reforming how courts treat victims and witnesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Background: Why a New Report Was Needed<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trigger goes back to a March 2025 Allahabad High Court verdict.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court had ruled that acts like grabbing a woman&#8217;s breasts and loosening her pyjama string amounted only to &#8220;preparation&#8221; to commit rape, not &#8220;attempt&#8221; to rape.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance and set aside this judgment in February 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the hearings, CJI Surya Kant questioned whether the <\/span><b>2023 handbook<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had actually helped prevent such insensitive rulings. He called it &#8220;too Harvard-oriented,&#8221; meaning too elite and theoretical for India&#8217;s ground realities.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said merely issuing a handbook to &#8220;sermonise&#8221; High Court judges served no purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court then directed the National Judicial Academy (NJA), Bhopal, to form an expert committee for practical guidelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Origin and Authorship of the New Handbook<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>2023 Handbook<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Conceptualised during the COVID-19 pandemic by then CJI Chandrachud, prepared by the Social Justice Sub-Committee and the e-Committee of the Supreme Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>2026 Report:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Emerged from a suo motu writ petition after the Court noted a lack of &#8220;compassion and empathy&#8221; in the Allahabad High Court judgment. A five-member Committee of Experts, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Aniruddha Bose (Director, NJA), including academics and social workers, drafted it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Key Difference in Approach<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2023 handbook focused on identifying and replacing patriarchal language in judgments \u2014 <\/span><b>a cognitive and linguistic reform<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2026 report goes further. It targets actual <\/span><b>courtroom behaviour and procedure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, introducing what it calls &#8220;Compassionate Court Practices.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It argues judges need an &#8220;Emotional Quotient&#8221; alongside their &#8220;Intelligence Quotient&#8221; to handle cases involving crimes against women.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Methodology<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2023 handbook relied on <\/span><b>doctrinal research<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, drawing on existing Supreme Court precedents that had already rejected gender stereotypes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2026 report is based on <\/span><b>empirical research<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 analysis of 125 trial court judgments and a stakeholder questionnaire involving judges, victims, and witnesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This survey found that 80.7% of respondents were unaware of the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, directly shaping its recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Linguistic Reform: Two Different Targets<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both handbooks provide glossaries of terms to avoid, but their focus differs:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2023 Handbook replaced stereotype-promoting terms:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Adulteress&#8221; \u2192 &#8220;woman who engaged in relations outside marriage&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Housewife&#8221; \u2192 &#8220;Homemaker&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Eve teasing&#8221; \u2192 &#8220;Street sexual harassment&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2026 Report replaced <\/span><b><i>moralistic and dramatic<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> courtroom phrases:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Body of women as playground&#8221; \u2192 &#8220;Violated bodily autonomy&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Destroys the very soul of a helpless woman&#8221; \u2192 &#8220;Caused severe trauma to the survivor&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoids terms like &#8220;lost her chastity&#8221; and &#8220;helpless female&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explicitly discourages religious or cultural references such as &#8220;Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notably, the 2026 report also asks judges to be alert to offensive expressions in <\/span><b>local and regional dialects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, not just English or foreign legal terms \u2014 a first for such guidelines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Compassionate Court Practices: The Core Innovation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the most significant addition in the 2026 report, aimed at <\/span><b>preventing &#8220;secondary victimisation.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; Key recommendations include:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Witness as Guest<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Treating witnesses with respect so they do not &#8220;tremble on getting summons,&#8221; avoiding long waits and poor treatment that discourage testimony.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Legal aid and support persons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Judges must proactively check if victims have legal assistance; if not, direct the District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to ensure compliance within 48 hours. Support Persons must be available from the FIR stage onward, especially for child victims.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Pre-trial counselling <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for victims to reduce anxiety before trial.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Courtroom environment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Simple courtesies like offering a chair and water; removing unnecessary people from court during sensitive testimony.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Controlling cross-examination<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Judges must not be a &#8220;silent spectator&#8221; while victims face insulting or intimidating questioning. The report invokes the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam&#8217;s bar on indecent, scandalous, or irrelevant questions, particularly about a survivor&#8217;s sexual history.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Privacy safeguards:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In-camera trials, confidentiality of victim identity using initials or pseudonyms, and video-link testimony to avoid direct confrontation with the accused.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Victim Compensation Scheme, 2018<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Its full text is annexed for ready reference \u2014 absent in the 2023 version.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Approach to Queer Issues<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both handbooks support non-binary inclusivity but differ in method:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2023 handbook focused on <\/span><b>debunking myths<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (e.g., that transgender persons cannot be raped) and offered preferred terms like &#8220;Intersex&#8221; instead of &#8220;Hermaphrodite.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2026 report introduces the <\/span><b>SOGIESC framework<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It recognises &#8220;Partner&#8221; as an inclusive term extending to same-sex relationships, and flags regional terms like Hijra, Jogappa, and Thirunangai as pejorative, recommending &#8220;intersex&#8221; or &#8220;transgender&#8221; instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also includes first-hand testimony from a transgender individual on systemic discrimination faced in the justice system.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Target Audience and Intent<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2023 handbook was aimed primarily at <\/span><b>judges and the legal community<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2026 report is designed to be understood by <\/span><b>laypersons, victims, and children<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, explicitly avoiding &#8220;foreign&#8221; legal jargon in favour of simple, accessible language.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2026 report moves judicial reform beyond vocabulary to lived courtroom experience, embedding compassion, privacy, and dignity into trial procedure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By grounding guidelines in empirical data and regional realities, it aims to build a more empathetic, victim-centric criminal justice system for India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-law\/supreme-court-gender-sensitive-report-trial-judges-guidelines-10818470\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/judiciary\/how-cji-surya-kants-new-gender-sensitivity-handbook-differs-from-dy-chandrachuds\/3005220\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TP<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court Gender Sensitivity Handbook promotes compassionate court practices, victim dignity, inclusive language, and empathy to strengthen India&#8217;s criminal justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":117448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,9294,22,59],"class_list":["post-117443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","tag-mains-articles","tag-supreme-court-gender-sensitivity-handbook","tag-upsc-current-affairs","tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs-tag","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117443"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117446,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117443\/revisions\/117446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}