India's Supreme Court has issued notices to two defence lawyers for making derogatory remarks against women in a documentary on the 2012 Delhi gang rape case.
NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court has issued notices to two defence lawyers for making derogatory remarks against women in a documentary on the 2012 Delhi gang rape case. The court wants the lawyers to explain their comments.
The notices were issued to lawyers ML Sharma and AP Singh in response to a petition filed by a women lawyers association. Both lawyers had represented the convicted men in the gang rape case. The petition sought a public apology from the two lawyers and also urged the Supreme Court to revoke the duo's legal licences.
The documentary on the gang rape and murder of a woman on a Delhi bus, entitled "India's Daughter", was banned by the government earlier this month.
In the documentary, Mr Sharma had said "there is no place for women in the Indian culture", and Mr Singh had said a woman should not go out at night with her boyfriend.
Lawyer Abha Singh, who is also a women’s rights activist, said: "I personally feel that for these two lawyers, not only should their entry be banned, their licences should also be cancelled. There is an advocates' ethics which clearly says that the lawyers are bound by the ethics of the advocate’s conduct, which says that they must uphold the law at all the time."
The plea by the women lawyers association has been supported by counsel across the country who feel strict action against the two lawyers would go a long way in reinstating the confidence of women in the country.
Lawyer Majeed Memon, who is also a lawmaker, said: "The endeavour of the court and the organisation has all along been to instil some confidence in the minds of women that they are safe in any part of this country at any point of time.”
How the Supreme Court would review the response of the two lawyers is something that would be closely watched by activists across the country. They feel that stringent action against the two men is the only way to protect the dignity of women and uphold the people’s faith in the representatives of the legal system in the country.
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