The Evolution and Enforcement of Victim Rights in India: Legal and Policy Perspectives

After independence, Indian laws were focused more on the accused, rather than the victim, however, in recent years the pendulum has started to swing towards the victim side. The legal context of victim rights, especially in sex offense cases, has been altered through both legislative changes and watershed court rulings that have occurred progressively. The development of victims’ rights needs to be analyzed in terms of history, law, enforcement and social-political dimension determining their actual implementation. Victim compensation schemes have been developed in conjunction with procedural rights and direct support services to emphasize the extent of rights not simply as an abstract concept but as a means of reducing the impact of victimization and enhancing the principles of restorative justice.