The Kerala High Court has appointed advocate Mitha Sudheendran as an amicus curiae to coordinate, report, propose and draft legislation to address issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Amicus curiae, which means “friend of the court” in Latin, is an individual or group of individuals who are not directly involved in a case but provide expertise, advice, or information to assist the court in making a decision.
The decision was taken by special court judges AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and CS Sudha while considering the report of the Hema Committee, which was formed to look into issues of safety and exploitation of women in the film industry. The court noted that if the state government finalizes the draft law, it will consider approving it.
The state government told the court it was drafting legislation to address concerns about the safety and well-being of women in the film industry. During the hearing, the court also reviewed the investigation progress report submitted by the government. The report highlighted that 26 FIRs have been registered based on the revelations in the Hema Commission report.
However, the court heard that five complainants had refused to cooperate with the investigation and three others had withdrawn their statements. Meanwhile, the Women’s Collective (WCC) announced it would submit its own draft legislative proposals to the court.
The court acknowledged the progress being made in the investigation and emphasized the need for effective legal measures to protect women in the film industry. Further hearings are expected as draft legislation and investigations continue to unfold.
The Hema Committee was formed in 2017 following a collective petition by Women in Film to investigate sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry. A three-member committee comprising retired High Court judge K Hema, actor Sharada and retired IAS officer KB Valsala Kumari reviewed the treatment of women in the industry and found out in a series of shocking revelations, including sexual exploitation, discrimination and lack of gender discrimination ) and made suggestions.
