AG R Venkataramani and SG Tushar Mehta discuss new criminal laws and diversity in India at the ICCPR Review in Geneva

The Indian delegation, led by the Attorney General R Venkataramani and Attorney General Tushar Mehtarecently participated in an event in Geneva marking India’s fourth periodic review of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by the Human Rights Committee established by the United Nations under the treaty.

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

The Human Rights Committee, which consists of 18 independent experts, evaluates the implementation of the ICCPR, examines reports from States Parties and makes recommendations on the basis thereof.

India has been a state party since 1979 and has undergone three previous reviews, the last in 1997. The last review was held on 15-16 July 2024 and included discussions on a wide range of civil and political rights issues, underscoring India’s commitment to human rights.

Referring to the new penal laws in India, Attorney General (AG) Venkataramani said it was the biggest criminal justice reform in the country.

“It is to be noted here that India has undertaken one of the largest criminal justice reforms in its history by enacting three landmark laws, which address major concerns in the area of ​​criminal justice including speedy disposal of cases,” said the attorney general.

The Attorney General further stressed the introduction of a constitutional amendment in 2023, which will require one-third of seats in parliament to be reserved for women.

“Thirty-two years of a similar constitutional provision for women’s participation in local government has strengthened their role as equal partners in public life“, said the attorney general.

The Attorney General added that while discrimination, inequality and injustice still exist and new threats continue to emerge, these challenges only strengthen India’s resolve and commitment to fulfil the dreams of the founding members of the Indian Constitution of liberty, equality and fraternity.

Attorney General (SG) Tushar MehtaIn his address to the President, he focused on India’s diversity, the country’s socio-economic transformation and even how the press has evolved over the years.

“The complexity of our size and diversity continues to be our strength, but it also presents a challenge and an opportunity. To share an interesting fact, from just over 200 daily newspapers published after Independence, Indian readers today can choose from a bouquet of over 1146,000 registered newspapers and magazines to start their morning with.“, said the SG.

SG Mehta stated that terrorism continues to be the greatest threat to international peace and security. He noted that terrorism is a direct attack on human rights, depriving innocent and unsuspecting people of the most fundamental of all rights, the right to life.

“Unfortunately, we have seen terrorism in many guises 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 gaining access to financial resources. While our counterterrorism laws and policies are consistent with our human rights obligations and subject to strong judicial oversight, they too have evolved over time.“, the SG emphasized.

Regarding the development of public interest litigation in Indian courts, SG Mehta added that India is probably the only country where a citizen can approach the highest Constitutional Court of the land for infringement or even threat of infringement of his fundamental rights.