Outcry over SC ruling language

Oct 23, 2010 - S.S. Negi |

New Delhi

The Supreme Court ruling spelling out the rights of women in “live-in” relations created a controversy of sorts in the court on Friday with a senior woman law officer of the Centre lodging her protest with the bench that delivered the verdict on the use of certain expressions which she termed “derogatory” to women.

Additional solicitor-general Indira Jaisingh, considered a strong proponent of women’s rights, told the bench of Justices Markanday Katju and T.S. Thakur, which had delivered the ruling on Thursday, that certain words in their judgment were “derogatory” to women and were completely unacceptable.
Ms Jaisingh strongly protested over the use of the words “keep” and “one-night stand” in the ruling, and said: “I take strong exception to the remarks... No woman is ‘kept’ ... I would like to move an application to expunge the remarks,” said Ms Jaisingh, who was also instrumental in drafting the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, passed by Parliament in 2005.
Ms Jaisingh made her protest after Justice Katju, who headed the bench, sought her views on the verdict as she was one of the “authors” of the legislation. The remarks that followed stunned the judges.

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