Novel initiative of Supreme Court regarding women; launches Handbook to end gender stereotyping

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud launches Handbook to end gender stereotyping in judicial decisions. He released a booklet ‘Combating Gender Stereotypes’ to convince judges and the legal and legal fraternity to avoid using stereotypical words for women. The words used for women in previous decisions were also told. These words are inappropriate and have been used by judges in the past. The handbook is not intended to criticize or cast doubt on judgments, but merely to show how stereotypes can be used unintentionally” CJI DY Chandrachud said.

Justice Chandrachud claimed that only by establishing the courts as strong, independent institutions that are blind to the identity of the litigant but aware of their surroundings will they be able to maintain their legitimacy.

“Judges and solicitors should act in a way that promotes trust in the objectivity and integrity of our legal systems in this regard. In addition to the Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes in Judicial Decision-Making, the Supreme Court recently produced a sensitization module for the judiciary on the LGBTQIA+ community. These initiatives are intended to help us examine ourselves, confront our prejudices, and protect the court system from absorbing and institutionalising such prejudices, he added.

The CJI asserted that courts have been important locations for democratic engagement for the previous 76 years. In order to ensure that courts continue to operate as an efficient and reasonably priced democratic space in the future, it is important to identify and remove the access restrictions that currently exist.