ICJ response to the draft legislation on domestic violence in India

Jul 31, 2003

This report documents the ICJ’s legislative reform project on India jointly held with the Indian Social Institute (ISI).

The Government of India proposed the Protection from Domestic Violence Bill, 2001 (the Bill). There was serious criticism of the bill by the NGO community because the the NGO community felt that the Bill was seriously flawed and would not provide effective remedies to the victims of domestic violence.

The Government of India then referred the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development (the Standing Committee).

The Standing Committee made some positive suggestions to amend the bill and submitted its 124th Report on the Protection from the Domestic Violence Bill, 2002.

The Bill including the Standing Committee recommendation was introduced in the Parliament on 22 December 2002. There was widespread concern that the Bill may be adopted by Parliament without sufficient debate.

Despite the Standing Committee recommendations remained, the women’s rights community continues to be concerned that it still falls short of providing remedies to the victims.

India-gender injustice-workshop report-2003 (full text, PDF)