CJI OPENS A REVIEW SESSION OF JUDICIAL TRAINING IN GENDER AND LAW

---

The Chief Justice of India, Shri Justice B.N. Kirpal has opened a review session of the National Judicial Academy’s courses on Gender and Law following the inaugural ceremony wherein the President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam dedicated to the nation the National Judicial Academy at Bhopal yesterday on September 5, 2002.

The review session marked the end of a successful yearlong training initiative where more than 830 judicial officers from 12 States took part in 15 sessions of training of three day duration of each session. The Chief Justice of India assessed the application of the training to the administration of justice especially in the area of gender issues. The assessment is designed to provide future strategies for priority training areas for judicial officers in the country.

The judicial training initiative forms part of a joint project between the National Judicial Academy, several High Courts and the British Council with support from the British High Commission in India.

Key themes of the training included effective handling of evidence with a gender perspective, violence against women with a special reference to rape and child sexual abuse, family law relating to property right, inheritance and maintenance and domestic violence and sexual harassment at the workplace. The trainee presiding officers were also imparted the use of internet networking to enable them to access legal information.

The training in gender sensitization is intended to end traditional bias against women in judicial pronouncements.