Oct 20, 2012: SC: act against harassment of women at work places

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 20, 2012

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed deep concern over the fact that women continued to be harassed at work places despite tough orders it passed 15 years ago.

It asked all regulatory bodies like Bar Council of India and Medical Council of India which regulate different professions to set up a committee to deal with all cases of sexual harassment at the workplace.

It also directed all state governments to implement its verdict in 1997 Vishaka case and bring amendments in law to stop such incidents.

A bench headed by justice RM Lodha said "lip service and hollow statements" are not enough to uplift the condition of women and asked the governments to put in place law to tackle the problem.

The court thus expanded the ambit of its historic 1997 Vishaka vedict. The judges directed regulating bodies and all the institutions affiliated to them to implement the guidelines framed in the Vishaka case of 1997 within two months.

The bench passed the order on a PIL filed by Medha Kalwal Lele seeking its direction to expand the ambit of the 1997 verdict to include various other institutions.

The apex court in 1997 had framed guidelines to handle cases of sexual harassment at the workplace in government departments and PSUs

The guidelines also said that rules prohibiting sexual harassment at the workplace should be notified, published and circulated and should also provide for penalties against the offenders.
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