The horrific sexual assault on a moving bus in Delhi which has shocked the nation has drawn attention to the prevalence of the crime of sexual assault. What has also emerged into the limelight are the huge gaps in the legal framework which allows for these forms of violent crime to continue unchecked. It is only when the victims of these violent crimes get a measure of justice through a concerted effort at ensuring conviction for heinous crimes that we can send out a message that Indian society does treat sexual assault as a grave and heinous offence and does not condone violence against women. It is the sending out of this message which can delegitimize the powerful social structures which condone , legitimize and even celebrate this heinous crime.

Based on its engagement on issues relating to social justice issues over the last twelve years, the Alternative Law Forum seeks to place the following submissions before the Justice Verma Committee. The Alternative Law Forum is convinced that effective justice can not only bring some measure of justice to the victim but also decrease the shockingly high incidence of this crime. With this objective in mind our submissions are structured along five broad lines: substantive law, procedural law, mechanisms relating to witness protection, victim assistance and expansion of FSL Labs.

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