Jammu: A woman judge of High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, will be preferred as the chairperson of Gender Sensitization and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC) for each wing.
The GSICC chairperson will be nominated by the Chief Justice of the High Court.
Recasting of the Regulation 4 (1)(a) of the “Gender Sensitization & Sexual Harassment of Women at the High Court and Subordinate Courts of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Regulations,2016” in this connection has been notified by the Registrar General Sanjeev Gupta on Monday.
“It is hereby notified that the Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Gender Sensitization & Sexual Harassment of Women at the High Court and Subordinate Courts of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Regulations, 201.6 is recast,” read the notification.
Amended Regulation 4(1)(a) will read as: “One Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, preferably a woman Judge for each wing, who shall be the Chairperson of the Committee, to be nominated by the Chief Justice of the High Court.”
Earlier this Regulation (now amended) would read: “One Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, for each wing, who shall be the Chairperson of the Committee, to be nominated by the Chief Justice of the High Court.”
As per the Regulations vis-a-vis the Constitution of General Sensitization and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC), the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh “shall by an order in writing, constitute a Committee for each wing of the High Court, to be known as High Court of J&K Gender Sensitization and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC), each of which shall consist of not less than seven members.”
The Committee will also comprise two senior members of High Court Bar Association of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, for each wing, with at least ten years of membership of the Bar, to be nominated by the Chief Justice, one of whom being a woman.
Regulations stipulated that two women members being the members of Clerks Association from two wings of High Court elected by general ballot by members of the High Court Clerks Association, for each Committee; at least two outside members to be nominated by Chief Justice of High Court, who are associated with Social Welfare Department or Non Governmental Organization having experience in the field of social justice, women empowerment and or gender justice, out of whom at least one member will be a woman, for each wing or committee.
Besides, the Committee will comprise two women officers in the service of the two wings of the High Court not below the rank of Deputy Registrar to be nominated by the Chief Justice, who shall function as a Member Secretary of GSICC for each Committee and any other member that the Chief Justice of High Court may deem fit to nominate; provided that not less than half of the total members of each GSICC should be women members.
Earlier on December 2, 2021, the Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal, in terms of the Regulation 4 (1) of the Gender Sensitization and Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2016, had reconstituted GSICC, for each wing of the High Court.