Supreme Court Calls for Legal Protections for Domestic Workers

The Supreme Court of India has mandated the formation of a committee to propose legal frameworks for the rights of domestic workers. This directive aims to address exploitation and improve the working conditions for domestic workers, particularly benefiting Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women from weaker sections.

The Supreme Court of India has directed the government to set up a committee to recommend legal frameworks for the regulation and protection of domestic workers. Advocate Chandrika Prasad Mishra highlighted the court's recognition of the precarious situations many domestic workers face, often without the means to file complaints against unfair practices.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh has instructed the Union Government to assess the feasibility of a law safeguarding domestic workers' rights. This order was issued in the context of dismissing a criminal case against a man accused of detaining his domestic worker illegally.

Advocate Mishra, representing the complainant, stressed that potential legislation could significantly impact women from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, and other marginalized groups. Advocate Rajiv Dubey added that the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Labour have been tasked with developing a legal framework to improve the financial and social status of domestic workers, with a report due in six months.

(With inputs from agencies.)