Lok Sabha Question No. 1198 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Sexual Harassment in Court Campuses
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Margani Bharat

- (a): No, Sir.
- (b) to (e): The  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at  Workplace  (Prevention, Prohibition and  Redressal) Act,  2013  mandates  that  every  employer  of  a workplace shall, by an order in writing, constitute a Committee to be known as the 'Internal Complaints Committee' for addressing complaint of sexual harassment at  workplace  by  any  aggrieved  woman.  As  per  Section  2(o)  of  the  Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, a 'workplace' includes any department, organisation, undertaking, establishment, enterprise, institution, office, branch or unit which is established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW & JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1198 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 9 TH  FEBRUARY, 2024

## SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN COURT CAMPUSES

## 1198. SHRI MARGANI BHARAT:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted a survey of instances of alleged sexual harassment reported from certain court campuses in the recent past;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details of such instances/complaints registered; and
- (e) the details of the steps taken to prevent sexual harassment in court campuses in
- the country along with the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

or indirectly by the appropriate Government  or  the local authority or a Government company or a corporation or a co-operative society.  Accordingly, the Supreme Court of India and respective High Courts are the designated disciplinary authorities for Judges/Judicial Officers and staff members working in the various courts.

The Supreme Court being the highest court of the land is actively involved in  initiating  measures  including  training  and  education  to  prevent  instances  of sexual harassment in court campuses. In this regard, the Hon'ble Supreme Court has  duly  constituted  an  Internal  Complaints  Committee  (ICC)  as  well  Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC).

Over the last one year several training and sensitisation programmes have been conducted by the Supreme Court of India to fulfill its commitment towards Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013, such as, awareness programmes for Delhi police security staff deputed in Supreme Court; awareness programme on the occasion of International Women's Day; workshop on gender sensitization  for  the  registry  staff;  training  programme  for  the  law  clerks-cumresearch  associates,  research  assistants,  law  researchers  and  law  students  in  the Supreme Court; gender sensitization training for employees of the Supreme Court registry and training of gender sensitization and sexual harassment of women at workplace, for Supreme Court advocates.

The information with regard to the number of cases filed in this regard are not collected and maintained in the Department of Justice as the Supreme Court of India and respective High Courts are disciplinary authorities for Judges / Judicial Officers and staff members.

********