J&K Judicial Academy hosts sensitisation program

Jammu, Aug 24: The J&K Judicial Academy today hosted a two day sensitisation programme here.

According to an official press release, the programme was held under the leadership of Justice Tashi Rabstan, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and with guidance from the Chairperson and Members of the Governing Committee for the J&K Judicial Academy.

The program, titled "POCSO Act and POSH Act with Special Reference to SAMVAD’s Training Manual and Combating Gender Stereotypes," was held at the J&K Police Auditorium in Gulshan Ground, Jammu.

It aimed to educate Judicial Officers, Special Public Prosecutors, Medical Officers, officers from the Forensic Science Laboratory, police officers, members of Sexual Harassment Probe Committees, and members of Gender Sensitization Internal Committees from all districts of Jammu province.

The training programme was inaugurated by Justice Sindhu Sharma, Chairperson, Sexual Harassment Probe Committee in the presence of Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh, Justice Rahul Bharti, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh, Member of the Governing Committee for J&K Judicial Academy and Anand Jain, ADGP, Jammu. Shiv Kumar DIG Jammu and Joginder Singh SSP Jammu also attended the inaugural session.

Delivering her inaugural address, Justice Sindhu Sharma, emphasised that there was a dire need of organizing such sensitization programmes to raise the awareness level of all the stake holders about the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized sections of society and sensitivities involved while dealing with the victims of POCSO and POSH Act.

She highlighted that a large number of such offences are neither specifically provided for nor are they adequately penalised.

The interests of the child, both as a victim as well as a witness, need to be protected.

Justice Sindhu Sharma added that it is felt that offences against children need to be defined explicitly and countered through commensurate penalties as an effective deterrence.

She iterated that for the first time, a special law has been passed to address the issue of sexual offences against children.