‘Finalise date for framing victim relief scheme’

First bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan on recording the submission of the petitioner that barring Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh all other States have notified the scheme, said “We are of the view that no further directions are required to be passed in the petition except that the date of notification to be informed to the court and the scheme be placed before this court.” 

The case has been listed for compliance on September 2, 2016. The petitioner Sonia Glory had contended that the lack of such a scheme despite a Supreme Court directive has resulted in many victims unable to get their just compensation as an interim relief. The petitioner while referring to radical social transformation process which is adopted in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Uganda where predominantly restorative Justice is used for the victim said, “The Offender Restorative Justice System is based on bringing together the victim, the offender and the community, who all have equal parts in repairing the relationship destroyed by crime.” She also stated that the victim compensation scheme is meant to detest the offender from committing further crime.

A Public Interest Litigation(PIL) was filed at Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) on Thursday, seeking appointment of Chairman of Fees Determining Committee. The petitioner, Karthi, in the petition had claimed that since December 2015, the post of Chairman of Fees Determining Committee for Private Schools, Tamil Nadu, is lying vacant. There are around 12,000 private schools in the state but the fees for the schools for the academic year 2016-17 have not been determined. Only the Chairman, a retired Judge, has the power to determine the fees for the schools and owing to the absence of Chairman the schools are charging exorbitant fees from the students. Upon hearing the petition HC had directed the government to file the counter affidavit by August 18.