By IANS,
New Delhi : There is an urgent need to have a comprehensive legislation to tackle human trafficking, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan said here Saturday, adding: “It touches on the domains of human rights protection and gender justice, while posing difficult problems for law enforcement officials”.
Balakrishnan inaugurated a day long meet on “Justice Delivery in Human Trafficking Crimes” at Vigyan Bhavan here.
“Since innumerable young girls and women are victimised by trafficking, the problem must be seen as one that intersects with that of commercial sexual exploitation,” he said after inaugurating the meet.
He also released a “Resource Book on Legal Framework on Anti Human Trafficking”.
“There is an urgent need to have a comprehensive legislation, to detect and punish the accused more effectively. Human trafficking is a complicated and multifaceted problem that requires a coordinated and inter-disciplinary response,” Balakrishnan added.
He said: “It touches on the domains of human rights protection and gender justice, while posing difficult problems for law enforcement officials. There is a need for intensified action to curb this menace.”
The meet was organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for South Asia in collaboration with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). Over 200 judicial officers, prosecutors, police officers, civil society organizations and the media participated in it.
Balakrishnan emphasised the need for developing an action plan by the participants in improving the justice delivery system and tackling the problem of human trafficking in the country.
The meet would have several technical sessions including human trafficking and the legal regime, responsibility of the police in anti-human trafficking crimes, court practice and procedure for effective justice delivery and significance of NGO involvement in the justice delivery process.