Vulnerable Witnesses: A Broader Definition

On 11th January, 2022, the Supreme Court expanded the meaning of vulnerable witnesses to also include among others sexual assault victims, those with mental illness and people with speech or hearing impairment.

Earlier in 2019, the Supreme Court, while hearing a special leave petition in the case of Smruti Tukaram Badade v. State of Maharashtra, orally remarked that the definition of the term vulnerable witness might not be constrained to child witnesses.

Old Definition

  • Vulnerable Witness - a child who has not completed 18 years of age.

New Definition

Vulnerable Witness includes -

  • age neutral victims of sexual assault
  • gender ....
Do You Want to Read More?
Subscribe Now
To get access to detailed content
Buy March 2022 Issue

Already a Member? Login here

Take Annual Subscription and get the following Advantage
The annual members of the Civil Services Chronicle can read the monthly content of the magazine as well as the Chronicle magazine archives.
Readers can study all the material before the last six months of the Civil Services Chronicle monthly issue in the form of Chronicle magazine archives.
Be an Annual Subscriber

Related Content

Society Watch