Criminal Law

Saudi court said to order criminal to be surgically paralysed

Reuters | Wednesday April 3, 2013

Amnesty International has condemned a reported Saudi Arabian court ruling that a young man should be paralysed as punishment for a crime he committed 10 years ago which resulted in the victim being confined to a wheelchair.

President Pranab Mukherjee gives assent to anti-rape bill

Indo-Asian News Service | Wednesday April 3, 2013

President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent to the anti-rape bill, providing enhanced punishment for rape, making stalking and voyeurism criminal offences and fixing the age of consent for sex at 18.

Rajya Sabha passes anti-rape bill

Edited by Ashish Mukherjee | Thursday March 21, 2013

The Rajya Sabha today passed a law to provide stricter punishment for rape and other sexual crimes against women, two days after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha debates anti-rape bill, views differ on age of consent

Indo-Asian News Service | Tuesday March 19, 2013

Lok Sabha members Tuesday stressed the importance of preventing misuse of the provisions of the anti-rape bill introduced in the house by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, while opinions diverged on the proposal to keep the age of consent at 18.

Finally, anti-rape law in Parliament today; age of consent is 18 now

Edited by Amit Chaturvedi | Tuesday March 19, 2013

After much debate and several rounds of meetings on many of its provisions, the anti-rape bill will finally be tabled in Parliament today for discussion and debate. The bill will first be introduced in the Lok Sabha where the government is expected t...

Union Cabinet to discuss bill on anti-rape law today

Press Trust of India | Tuesday March 12, 2013

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, which proposes jail term to a rape convict for his entire life, will be taken up at a special meeting of the union cabinet today, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said in Delhi on Monday.

Supreme Court sends notice to Centre and Jammu & Kashmir on juvenile offender's plea

Indo-Asian News Service | Monday March 11, 2013

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and Jammu & Kashmir on a plea to quash a criminal case against a 12-year-old boy and implementation of a law on juvenile offenders in the state.

Anti-rape law: should age of consent be lowered? Govt torn, bill delayed

Sunil Prabhu | Thursday March 7, 2013

The Union Cabinet will not review the new rape laws drafted by the government today, with ministries at odds over a recommendation on the lowering of the age of consent.

Marital rape not criminal offence: MPs committee backs govt

Edited by Amit Chaturvedi | Friday March 1, 2013

The government's decisions to reject marital rape as a criminal offense and to introduce the death penalty for the most extreme rape cases have been accepted by a parliamentary committee.

Packing for Paris? Old law bans pants for women

Agence France-Presse | Monday February 4, 2013

Women in Paris can finally wear trousers without fear of criminal prosecution after the government said a more than 200-year-old ban no longer had any legal effect.

New anti-rape legislation: Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013

NDTV.com | Monday February 4, 2013

President Pranab Mukherjee on February 3, 2013, gave his assent to the government's amended anti-rape laws that it introduced through an ordinance. The conglomerate of changes, which introduced the death penalty for extreme rape cases, has to be clea...

Amid sharp criticism, government defends new anti-rape laws

Edited by Sabyasachi Dasgupta | Monday February 4, 2013

The government today countered a fusillade of criticism over the changes to anti-rape laws that it has introduced through an ordinance, signed yesterday by President Pranab Mukherjee. The conglomerate of changes, which introduced the death penalty fo...

Govt ordinance on anti-rape laws has cherry-picked Justice Verma's recommendations: Kiran Bedi

Press Trust of India | Saturday February 2, 2013

Former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi today welcomed the ordinance to amend the criminal law with focus on crime against women but said the government has cherry picked recommendations of Justice Verma Committee.

Report on harsher punishment for crimes against women to be submitted to Home Ministry today

Edited by Amit Chaturvedi | Wednesday January 23, 2013

Exactly a month after it was set up, the panel headed by former chief justice of India JS Verma, is likely to submit its report to the Home Ministry today. Sources say in the report, Justice Verma may recommend updating criminal laws to make them mor...

Family says anti-rape laws could be named after student, but government may disagree

Press Trust of India | Wednesday January 2, 2013

The family of the 23-year-old medical student has said that it would be an honour for new anti-rape laws to be named after her, as suggested yesterday by junior minister Shashi Tharoor. However, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs say that the ch...