AG R. Venkataramani And SG Tushar Mehta Discuss New Criminal Laws And India's Diversity At ICCPR Review In Geneva

AG R. Venkataramani And SG Tushar Mehta Discuss New Criminal Laws And India's Diversity At ICCPR Review In Geneva

The Indian delegation, led by Attorney General R. Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, recently participated in an event in Geneva to mark India's fourth periodic review of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

The delegation also included Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor, and senior officials from the Union Ministries of Women and Child Development, Social Justice and Empowerment, and Minority Affairs.

The Human Rights Committee, comprising 18 independent experts, evaluates ICCPR implementation, reviews reports from state parties, and provides recommendations. India, a state party since 1979, has undergone three prior reviews, with the last one in 1997. The latest review, held on July 15–16, 2024, covered a broad range of civil and political rights issues, reflecting India's commitment to human rights.

Attorney General Venkataramani highlighted India's recent significant criminal law reforms, describing them as the most substantial in the country's history. "It needs to be mentioned here that India has undertaken one of the biggest criminal law reforms in its history by enacting three major legislations that address important concerns in the administration of criminal justice, including expeditious disposal of cases."

The Attorney General also emphasized the enactment of a 2023 Constitutional Amendment mandating the reservation of one-third of parliamentary seats for women. "Thirty-two years of similar constitutional provision for women’s participation in local governance bodies have enhanced their role as equal partners in public life," he noted.

Despite persistent discrimination, inequality, and injustice, Venkataramani asserted that these challenges only strengthen India's resolve and commitment to realizing the founding principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, in his address, highlighted India's diversity, socio-economic transformation, and the evolution of its press. "The complexity of our size and diversity continue to be our strengths, as well as our challenges and opportunities. To share an interesting data point, from a little over 200 dailies published post-independence, Indian readers today get to choose from a bouquet of over 1 hundred and 46 thousand registered newspapers and periodicals to start their mornings," he said.

SG Mehta also addressed the ongoing threat of terrorism, describing it as a direct attack on human rights. "Unfortunately, we have seen terrorism in many avatars, and we firmly believe that it is the duty of states to ensure the security of their citizens. To counter this threat, we have established effective legal and institutional mechanisms to combat terrorism, including preventing terrorists from accessing financial resources. While our counter-terrorism laws and policies are in compliance with our human rights obligations and are subject to rigorous judicial oversight, they too have been evolving with time," he stressed.

Furthermore, SG Mehta highlighted the unique evolution of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) in Indian courts, stating that India is possibly the only nation where a citizen can approach the highest Constitutional Court for the infringement or threat of infringement of fundamental rights.