Marital Rape Law Will Put Families Under Stress: Parliament Panel

Haribhai Chaudhury said in LS that law on marital rape will put the entire family system under great stress.

A Parliamentary panel has observed that if the issue of marital rape is brought under law, the entire family system will be under great stress. (Photo: iStockphoto)

A Parliamentary panel has observed that if the issue of marital rape is brought under law, the entire family system will be under great stress.

Gujrat Minister of State for Home Affairs, Haribhai Chaudhury said in Lok Sabha that the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs presented its 167th report on the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2012 in the Rajya Sabha on 1 March 2013.

While giving its report, the Committee considered both the 172nd report on the review of rape laws given by the Law Commission of India and the report submitted by the Justice JS Verma Committee.

As a reply to a written question, on Tuesday, Haribhai Chaudhury said:

The Committee deliberated the amendments to section 375 of IPC, including the issue of marital rape, and observed that if marital rape is brought under the law, the entire family system will be under great stress and the Committee may perhaps be doing more injustice.

The Law Commission, while making its 172nd report on Review of Rape Laws in March 2000, did not recommend criminalisation of marital rape.

However, the Justice JS Verma Committee, while giving its report on Amendments to Criminal Law in January 2013, recommended that the law ought to be amended to delete the marital rape exception.

This (Home) Ministry has requested the Law Commission to deliberate upon the matter during the course of its comprehensive review of the Criminal Justice System.

Justice JS Verma Committee