The Kerala High Court on Thursday, November 7, appointed advocate Mitha Sudhindran as amicus curiae to assist the state government in drafting legislation addressing the challenges faced by women, particularly in the workplace, following the revelations of the Justice Hema Committee report.
The Justice Hema Committee report, made public on August 19, 2024, exposed the dire conditions faced by women in the film industry, including sexual exploitation, highlighting the lack of a clear employer-employee relationship within the sector. This led to widespread public outcry and prompted the High Court to establish a separate bench to handle related cases.
Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and C. S. Sudha, presiding over the special bench, emphasized the need for diverse perspectives in drafting the legislation. They directed the amicus curiae to gather input from various stakeholders, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the issues and incorporating a feminine perspective into the proposed law.
"This court is certainly is not going to be legislating… what we are doing here is trying to get different perspectives, and predominantly the feminine perspective, because that is something that we find is lacking in our laws now," the court stated.
The court's initiative underscores a proactive approach to addressing the systemic issues faced by women in the workplace. The draft legislation, informed by diverse viewpoints, will be reviewed by the state before being presented to the court for consideration.
The High Court will hold its next hearing on November 21, 2024. In a related development, the court was informed that while 26 FIRs have been registered based on the SIT's investigation, five victims are unwilling to cooperate, and three have retracted their statements. The remaining 18 FIRs require additional time for statement submission.