# Supreme Court’s 2026 gender guidelines differ from 2023 handbook 2026-08-09T14:42:50+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Supreme Court’s 2026 guidelines on gender-sensitive court practices, prepared by an expert committee headed by former judge Justice Aniruddha Bose, differ sharply from the 2023 handbook. Chief Justice Surya Kant had called the earlier handbook “too technical” and “Harvard-oriented” for laypersons, and ordered the National Judicial Academy to draft simpler, India-specific norms. The 2026 report, based on a review of 125 trial court judgments, focuses narrowly on sexual offences, offering a practical glossary of problematic phrases and urging judges to avoid victim-blaming and moralistic language. In contrast, the 2023 handbook covered a broader range of stereotypes affecting caste, class, and disability. LiveLaw reports that while the glossaries overlap, the 2026 report emphasises evidence-based writing over speculation about a survivor’s character or clothing. ## Coverage - livelaw.in Tags: gender sensitivity, gender stereotypes, judicial guidelines, NJA, sexual offences, Supreme Court Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/supreme-courts-2026-gender-guidelines-differ-from-2023-handbook/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/supreme-courts-2026-gender-guidelines-differ-from-2023-handbook/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.