New Delhi, Jan.3 (ANI): The Supreme Court will hear public interest litigation matters related to setting up of fast track courts for speedy trial in rape cases and effective implementation of existing laws for safety of women on Friday.
A two-judge bench of the apex court, comprising of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said that it was aware of the gravity of the issue, and would take up the PILS for review and argument tomorrow.
One of the PILs has filed by retired lady IAS officer Promilla Shanker.
The bench headed by Justice Radhakrishnan decided to hear the matter on Friday as it had received a report from the apex court registry that an identical matter relating to the safety of women was already pending.
The judges were of the view that they would like to know the details of the other pending matter.The apex court will also hear another PIL related to the issue which was filed by an advocate and social activist Omika Dubey in which directions have been sought for appointment of additional judges to adjudicate the matters of crime against women and for providing compulsory compensation to victims of rape.
The PIL filed through advocate Ravi Prakash Gupta also sought an order to restrain print and electronic media from publishing and telecasting obscene pictures of women.
The Central Government was pulled up by the Supreme Court on Thursday for failing to stop illegal clinical trials of untested drugs by multinational firms.
Charging the central government with going into deep slumber over the issue, the apex court said drug trials are creating ?havoc? across the country and causing the death of many citizens.
The court said the government needed to urgently introduce proper mechanisms to stop these ?rackets? of multinational companies.
A two-judge bench of the court, comprising of Justices R.M. Lodha and A.R. Dave said that all clinical trials will henceforth be done under the supervision of the Union Health Secretary.
You have to protect health of citizens of the country. It is your obligation. Deaths must be arrested and illegal trials must be stayed, the bench said, asking the government to handle the menace on an urgent basis.
The court also rubbished the government?s contention that various committees were look into the issue and that it would come back to the court after getting suggestions from them.
You can get back to the court but what about those people who are losing their lives in such clinical trials? the court retorted.
It is very easy to form a committee or a commission. It is done just to divert people?s attention on the issue. It is the best way to divert attention on important issues, the bench said.
The court said that the government is shying away from responding to its queries while noting that the affidavit filed by the Centre was not in consonance with its earlier order.On October 8, last year, the apex court had sought the reply on the allegation that human beings were being used as guinea pigs by drug companies.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/supreme-court-to-hear-pils-on-rape-cases-women-safety/
