3 weeks ago
Top judge urges immediate legal aid for women, flags Karnataka
A very important judge in India named Justice Nagarathna gave a speech in Bengaluru.
She said women who face problems should get free legal help very quickly, like right at the police station or in a hospital.
She talked about new rules in Karnataka that make it harder for women to ask the High Court for help.
She asked the state government to fix these rules so women are not at a disadvantage.
She shared numbers showing that more than four lakh women used legal aid in one year.
She also said many crimes against women were reported, but only one out of every five led to a conviction.
Complaints about online crimes against women are rising, from about 50,000 to close to 80,000.
She wants courts to give money to victims quickly to pay for medical and legal costs.
She also wants women to know about helplines and how to report problems so they can get help fast.
Supreme Court judge Justice B V Nagarathna advocated providing legal aid to women immediately after an incident, at police stations or hospitals.
She flagged amendments to the Karnataka Civil Courts Amendment Act, 2023, and Karnataka High Court Amendment Act, 2023, that removed the High Court's jurisdiction over regular first appeals.
Data from the National Legal Services Authority showed 4,14,795 women availed legal aid between April 2025 and March 2026.
National Crime Records Bureau data cited by her showed 4,41,534 crimes against women were registered in 2024, with only one in five cases resulting in conviction.
She said cybercrime complaints involving women rose from roughly 50,000 in 2024 to close to 80,000 this year.
- Who
- Justice B V Nagarathna, Supreme Court judge and Chairperson of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee; Karnataka Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru also spoke at the event.
- What
- She called for immediate legal aid for women and flagged Karnataka amendments that curtailed the High Court's jurisdiction over regular first appeals.
- Where
- Bengaluru, at the South Zone Regional Conference on 'Justice for Women', organised by the National Commission for Women with the High Court of Karnataka and the Karnataka Judicial Academy.
- When
- Saturday, August 8, at a two-day regional conference.
- Why
- To ensure women receive timely legal remedies and to address rising crimes against women, including technology-facilitated abuse.
Key facts
- Event
- Two-day South Zone Regional Conference on 'Justice for Women'
- Organisers
- National Commission for Women, High Court of Karnataka, Karnataka Judicial Academy
- Legal aid recipients
- 4,14,795 women (April 2025 - March 2026, NALSA)
- Crimes against women in 2024
- 4,41,534 cases registered (NCRB)
- Conviction rate
- One in five crimes against women
- Cybercrime complaints by women
- About 50,000 in 2024 to close to 80,000 this year
- Laws flagged
- Karnataka Civil Courts Amendment Act, 2023; Karnataka High Court Amendment Act, 2023
Quotes
Justice B V Nagarathna
Supreme Court judge and Chairperson of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee
“Let the women of Karnataka not face a disadvantage, because on a question of fact they would have to approach the Supreme Court, and only on a substantial question of law, they would have to approach the High Court under Section 100.”
theprint.in
Sources
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