SC Introduces Handbook to Combat Gender Stereotypes in Courts

The Supreme Court on Wednesday introduced a handbook aimed at addressing gender stereotypes, which is intended to guide judges in refraining from using inappropriate gender-specific terms in court orders and legal documents.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud unveiled that the handbook identifies unintentional stereotypes present in various court judgments. He emphasized that this identification is intended to assist judges in avoiding such stereotypes by recognizing language that contributes to their propagation.

The CJI clarified that the intention is solely to prevent the future usage of such language and terms, and not to impugn the credibility of past judgments or the judges who authored them. He underscored that the focus is on recognizing stereotypes related to women in legal discourse, pointing out instances where courts have unknowingly employed such stereotypes.

“This pertains to stereotypes concerning women in legal discourse. It identifies the inadvertent stereotypes used by courts and how they unconsciously surface. This is not an indictment of judgments. Its purpose is to assist judges in steering clear of such language that reinforces stereotypes. It references binding decisions that have brought attention to the same,” he elaborated.

The CJI also revealed that the Supreme Court’s website hosts the manual and tutorial for electronic filing, which will be followed by the release of the handbook.

In recent developments, the CJI has sanctioned gender-neutral restrooms and online appearance slips at the Supreme Court. Plans are underway to construct nine universal, gender-neutral restrooms at different locations within the main building and the additional building complex of the Supreme Court.