In letter, Chief Justice asks for fast- track courts for crimes against women

After the national outpouring of sorrow
and anger over the gang-rape and death
of a young medical student in Delhi, the
Chief Justice of India has written to all
high courts, asking for fast-track courts to
be established to expedite the cases of
crimes against women.
The Chief Justice of India, Altamas Kabir,
has asked high courts of all states to
coordinate with state governments for
the infrastructure needed to commission
these special courts.
In his letter, Justice Kabir writes, "The
tragic incident involving the brutal gang
rape and subsequent death of young
physio-therapy student in Delhi on 16
December has engaged the attention of
all and sundry in the national and
international arena. The spontaneous
outburst of outrage and anger is the
measure of how the incident has let an
indelible mark and shaken the conscience
of the nation. Rape is not only physical
barbarism but afflicts the very soul of a
victim."
Last week, Justice Kabir inaugurated a
fast-track court in South Delhi's Saket
district that will handle the trial of the
five men accused of raping and killing the
student. A sixth man arrested for the
crime is a minor and will be tried
separately by a court for juveniles.
At a meeting with Home Minister Sushil
Kumar Shinde last week, representatives
of all state governments asked the Centre
to fund courts that will handle cases of
crimes against women.
The notoriously slow legal system is seen
as one of the reasons why sexual
offenders remain largely unpunished in
India.