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SC slams high courts for insensitive language on sexual offences
The Supreme Court on Friday (9 October 2026) criticised high court judgments that used insensitive language while dealing with sexual offences, including a Patna High Court ruling that removing a woman's salwar and pressing her chest did not amount to an attempt to rape. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued notice to the accused in three cases from Patna, Allahabad and Jharkhand high courts, saying the language used was 'something very shocking'.
Senior advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for 'We The Women of India', drew the court's attention to multiple high court orders containing objectionable phrases such as 'she herself invited trouble' and 'preparation to commit rape'. The court noted that the National Judicial Academy has prepared a Handbook and is developing a curriculum to sensitise judges on appropriate language in such cases. The hearings continue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both The Hindu and Hindustan Times covered the Supreme Court’s action on Friday (9 October 2026) concerning insensitive language in high court orders on sexual offences. The Hindu focused on the Patna High Court ruling that removing a salwar did not amount to an attempt to rape, quoting the CJI’s ‘shocking’ remark. Hindustan Times reported the same Patna case but expanded the story to include similar objectionable language from Allahabad, Jharkhand and Calcutta high courts, mentioning a Handbook being prepared for judicial sensitisation. The coverage is uniformly factual and critical of the courts’ language, with no significant framing differences. Both outlets reported the Supreme Court issuing notice to the accused and the broader concern over judicial language, ending with the ongoing curriculum development by the National Judicial Academy.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): thehindu.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
