Justice News - India Together

CRIME SURVEYS
The way we measure hate crimes is simply bogus

Safety and criminality in society must be assessed directly from the people themselves. The government is deluding itself and citizens by conflating law enforcement statistics with crime data, writes Tara Krishnaswamy.

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TRIPLE TALAQ

Misery personified

Activists and supporters are urging the Supreme Court to ban the practice of triple talaq. Ramesh Menon says that the government will have to courageously act on the sticky issue to ensure that thousands of women get justice.

Gender Laws and Policy Women

CHILD ABUSE IN KERALA

Legislation to safeguard children fails to protect them

Post-POCSO Act, reporting of child sexual abuse cases have rocketed in Kerala, but conviction rates remain dismal. State government and judiciary lack the infrastructure to ensure justice for victims, finds Navya P K. Navya is reporting on child labour in Kerala for PII-UNICEF Media Fellowship, which was awarded to her recently.

Children Kerala

CASTE CRIMES

Why do these ghastly stories rarely make news headlines?

Crime and atrocities against Dalits is on rise, while support and justice in these cases are long delayed and the coverage of these crimes is inept, biased or voyeuristic. Pushpa Achanta finds out why media, the fourth pillar of our democracy, is falling short in its duty.

People Adivasis Media

DNA BILL

The DNA Bill is a recipe for disaster

The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) registers its dissent over the new Human DNA Profiling Bill draft. Sunil Abraham, Executive Director of CIS, explains how the Bill does not address the privacy concerns despite a seemingly powerful language.

Law and Order Laws

PROFILE: Karnataka Dalit Mahila Vedike

Casting out caste crime

Pushpa Achanta describes the unrelenting efforts of the Karnataka Dalit Mahila Vedike (KDMV) in educating members of the Dalit and Adivasi communities in the state about their legal entitlements and helping them wage battles for justice in cases involving caste atrocity and discrimination.

Caste Adivasis Human Rights Women

JUDICIAL REFORMS

Judicial delays: Understanding the system before fixing it

On 18 March, at a discussion organised by Daksh India, Nick Robinson from the Harvard Law School explored in detail the phenomenon of judicial delays, sharing insights from his work in both India and the US. Pavan Kulkarni summarises the important points raised.

Law and Order Laws

EXPEDITING JUSTICE

The role of data in judicial reform

It is commonplace to cite the number of cases pending in Indian courts as evidence of a judicial crisis and suggest reforms based on the same. Aparna Chandra highlights why the numbers themselves need to be questioned and understood better for effective reform.

Opinions Laws

MUZZLING ACTIVISM

What’s ‘fashionable’ about protesting human rights violations?

A recent observation of the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition filed by a filmmaker challenging censorship of his documentary, has left human rights advocates in the country anguished and puzzled. Shoma A Chatterji explains why.

OP-ED Creative Human Rights

BLOG: RESISTANCE & RECONSTRUCTION

Will 2015 be a year of hope?

Will the synergies between the politics of resistance and grassroots initiatives towards reconstruction of the damages wrought by ‘development’ be reaped effectively enough in the year ahead? That is what Ashish Kothari will track in his new blog.

Environment Government Poverty Human Rights Ecommentary

THE POLITICS OF JUSTICE

Is the army court’s verdict on the Machhil killings enough?

The recent award of life sentences to the army personnel involved in the 2010 Macchil killings in J&K sends out a positive message, but there are deeper layers in the justice system that need introspection and overhaul in the pursuit of reconciliation. Firdaus Ahmed explains.

Firdaus Ahmed OP-ED Subcontinental Musings

RELIGION & JUSTICE

Muslim women fight patriarchal Sharia laws

Several women’s groups are now fighting the age-old gender bias perpetuated by Sharia law and finding ways to help Muslim women who have suffered due to its patriarchal dispensations. Pushpa Achanta reports on some of these, including one which proposes a codification of such law, reinterpreted.

Gender Laws and Policy Society Women

CAMPUS VIOLENCE

A trend highlighted in the Jadavpur University moment

An alleged incident of molestation within campus premises at one of Calcutta’s most prestigious universities and the events following it have led to one of the largest student mobilisations that the state has witnessed in recent times. But does the entire episode also signify a continuation of a disturbing trend? Shoma A Chatterji reports.

Gender Violence Society Human Rights

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Retired Scientist
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